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12/16/2023 DAB Transcript pt2

Think about that for just a second. We could read it in the Bible and look at God talking to Israel and just kinda disassociate from it, but what if we personalized it. What if God were here saying, what have I done to you, why have I done to make you so tired of me? Answer me. I don’t, I don’t even know what I would do. I can’t even imagine, that is very disruptive to think about because I’m trying not to live like, right, and we’re all trying not to live like that. But we’re broken people, and we find ourselves in brokenness all the time. And for some reason, we seem addicted to certain kinds of brokenness that we just, what, for whatever reason has us. But as God is saying in Micah, like all these things that you turn too are made out of your own hands. They can’t breathe, they can’t smell, the can’t hear you, they can’t bless you, they can’t do anything for you, you’re missing the point, you’re wasting your life. What did I do to make you so tired of me? Man! We…we find ourselves asking God that question. What I do? Why are you so mad at me? We don’t expect that kind of question from God. Like, God is asking what else He has to do be seen by us, to get our attention. What else He has to do to prove His love. That is, that…that’s heartbreaking friends. It makes me want to cry. That’s heartbreaking to think that we could cause our Heavenly Father those feelings. And then God listed all kinds of ways that He had been caring for His people, the ways that He had protected them, and that they still betrayed Him. And so, in response Micah muses about what…what can be done and speaks through the mouth of Israel. Like, what could they bring, like knowing this, now that God is here and we see who we are and we see what we’ve done, and there is no explanation, and there is no justification, and there is no redemption outside of God. What are we supposed to do now that God is here confronting us? Is it rituals, is it sacrifice, is it worship, is it singing, is it their repentance that they would scream and shout, is that what God wants from them? It’s just that’s not what God wants. When Israel muses what do You want, what can we do, what, do You want this, do You want that? We’ll do this, we’ll do that. God says no. He has told you mortals what is good in His sight. What else does the eternal ask of you, but to live justly and to love kindness, and to walk with your God in all humility. There it is. That is what God wants from us. And in this season, in this season especially, should we not give Him what He wants? He wants us to do what is right. He wants us to act justly, He wants us to love mercy, which is different than being merciful once in a while, He wants us to love mercy. He wants us to walk humbly with Him, to have our life and being in this world with the awareness of His presence, that it is He who is animating us, He is the source of life, and He is reviewing his love for Earth’s people through our lives. That’s what He wants. But isn’t that what we want too? Isn’t it just that we want to be the boss. We want Him to do what we say, when it doesn’t work that way, we do what He says. I mean, Christmas is a busy time. I’m getting frazzled too. We’re busy, more busy than most times of the year. Rhythms are disrupted, running around doing this and that, and beneath all that, at least for me, I get the blues and existential questions come into my mind. And what is the purpose, and it’s important to remember things like what God is spoken through Micah. It can kind of simplify things back down to the essential core, when we begin to realize that the mayhem of Christmas time may not be what God wants. It’s what we want and it’s fun and He enjoys that. But He is interested in our lives that we might do what is right, to love mercy and to walk humbly with our God. Let’s go out and do that today.

Prayer:

And Father, we…we can’t do it without You. So, we become aware of Your presence here and now, knowing that Your presence will accompany us wherever we step, wherever we go. You see and hear it all, nothing is hidden from You. And we want to include You in all that we do and say. So, come Holy Spirit, and be involved in every word that we speak, every thought that we have, every action that we take today. We ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Announcements:

dailyaudiobible.com is home base, that is the website. It’s where you can find out what’s happening, and we know it’s Christmas time around here because it’s Christmas time around everywhere. And Christmas time around The Daily Audio Bible this year is centered around the music of the Daily Audio Bible. I’ve been saying it for a couple weeks now. We pressed five different projects from the music of the Daily Audio Bible. The Sleep album, the Heart album, The Promised Land album, and then Family Christmas and Christmas Time, two holiday titles for this season. And they’re on commemorative, like it’s a keepsake, limited-edition vinyl and colored vinyl. It’s beautiful to have. And we are using these this year to sew into what comes next for us in the new year with new infrastructure and a brand-new app coming our way. So, thank you for your partnership on that. You can find these at dailyaudiobible.com or using the app, just go to the Shop and then you’ll find the Christmas Section and it’s in there. And so, thank you for your partnership.

And if you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible here at the end of the year, thank you, humbly, humbly, there is a link on the homepage at dailyaudiobible.com. If you’re using the app, you can press the Give button in the upper right-hand corner or the mailing address is P.O. Box 1996 Springhill, Tennessee 37174.

And as always, if you have a prayer request or encouragement, you can hit the Hotline button in the app, that’s little red button up at the top, or you can dial 877-942-4253.

And that’s it for today, I’m Brian, I love you and I’ll be waiting for you here tomorrow.

Prayer and Encouragements:

This is Jodi from North Carolina. I am calling in for Delta Alpha Foxtrot and Blind Tony, as well as some other prayer requests that I ask the family to join me in praying tonight. Father, we lift up Delta Alpha Foxtrot and Blind Tony to You. Lord, I pray that You would bring joy to their grieving hearts, the loss of their loved ones and all those out there who have not called in, who have lost so many this past year. Just pray that You would heal our hearts and heal our grief. And help us to find the joy in You and know that You are in control. And our loved ones are with You. And we will see them again and they are in a better place. And Father, I pray for Tony, that You would provide for him and his sister a safe place for them to live, with warmth and water and all that they need. Pray that the damage to their home is not so great that they’re unable to live there. And I pray that insurance would cover all the damages and that they would not have any financial loss ahead of them because of this. Father, I pray that You would lift them up and encourage them in their struggles. Father, I pray in my life, and I ask the family to pray with me for my husband. I will be seeing him for the first time in over a month for a couple of days. He has one more month to decide if he’s going to continue to file for divorce. So, I pray that Lord, You work in his heart that You would stop the plans of the devil, stop the plans of Satan from ruining more marriages in our country. Just do a world of change in my husband’s heart. In Jesus name I pray. I pray for our time together, for all those that are struggling. In Christ name I pray. Amen.

Hello, my DAB family, this is Mark Street from Sydney, Australia today. Is Tuesday the 5th of December and I’m listening to the prayers, and I heard Blind Tony saying that he had a fire in his house and I just wanted to pray for him. Heavenly Father, we come to You humbly. Asking that You protect Tony and his family, Lord. Lord, You know how much he loves this community and how much he loves You, Lord. And Lord, restore the things that the enemy has taken away from him. Lord, all things are possible with You. We know, and Lord, look down upon Tony and his family and shower your blessings upon him in the way that You know is correct. In your name Lord. I love you Tony and I’m thinking of you as well. Love you family. Mark Street, Sydney, Australia. Bye.

Hey DAB family. This is In the Vine in Indiana again and I’m calling and just letting you know that it is possible. It is possible to get through what you’re going through. It is possible, even though that tunnel where the light seems so far away, it is possible. Where you fall off the track of the Bible. Where you fall off track with God. Where you fall off the track of life. It is possible, it is very possible. There was a moment in my life, which you guys know a little bit about. And I won’t go into detail because I don’t want to put myself out there too much. You know, as my dad would say. But it’s been, it has been hard. I was in a situation where I couldn’t be in school for like two weeks. And for whatever reason, you know, of course I fell away from God that time. But I have, this is just such an awesome app where I have been able to keep in touch with the Bible. Now, it’s still sad that I haven’t touched my paper Bible in quite a while but I’m learning to keep picking that up too. And not lean too much on this. But it’s the Bible and its commentary so I don’t know why it’s so bad in my head. But anyway, yeah, so it is possible to get to where you’re going through. Just keep pushing and looking at a small white, ever gentle voice at the end of the tunnel, telling you to come here. Telling you that you got this. Telling you to come on. You got this and man is there an audience just waiting for you. You know what I mean. Alright, bye, I love you and I’ll see you in a little bit. Bye.

Good morning DABers, this is John Opar. I can’t believe for a second day in a row I’ve had to call in as usual, I’m calling in from South Sudan. And we are enjoying our rainy season and humid weather. But anyway, just wanted to talk to a brother who called in and can’t remember his name, but he’s really beat up about his marriage. He’s been married for ten years, and he said that things are not looking good. This time and that he owned up to the fact that he has not been doing what he’s supposed to do as a child of God. You would think that at 35 years of marriage that I would have something to tell you that would help you. But the fact is, I do not. All I can tell you is that you are in a good place, that you recognize that God is the answer, and He is truly the answer. For me, over 35 years I’ve…I’ve gone through a lot. Maybe a lot more than you. But God has kept us up till now. And I know He will keep you and your wife. One thing that I have learned to do is Ephesians chapter 6 from verse 10, that we wrestle not against flesh and blood but principalities of darkness. May God help you, in Jesus name. Amen.

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12/16/2023 DAB Transcript pt1

Micah 5:1-7:20, Revelations 7:1-17, Psalm 135:1-21, Proverbs 30:5-6

Today is the 16th day of December, welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I’m Brian. It’s great to be here with you today as we gather again, and keep cozy in this wintery December, as we come together around the Global Campfire for our next step forward on this grand journey, a year of life together, every day together, through the entire Bible together. And we’ve been working our way through the minor prophets, as we know. We started the book of Micah yesterday and we talked about that some. We will conclude the book of Micah in our Old Testament reading today by reading Micah chapter 5, 6 and 7.

Commentary:

Okay, so, we concluded the book of Micah today and we explored sort of the bottom line about what God wants from us. And we come to Micah at this time of year and it’s like we’re out shopping and buying things and getting people what they want and hoping for things that we want. Or try to figure out how are we’re going to manage all this. What is God want that we could give as a gift to Him? Like, we’re gonna give everybody gifts that we know in our lives, but what about God who came for us and created this moment for us to be thankful and grateful and give gifts. What does He want? I think if we’re gonna look into Micah for that, we have to look first at what He doesn’t want. And before that we have to think about a couple of questions that are very sad that Micah asked from the mouth of God today. And God said, my people what have I done against you? How have I made you tired of Me? Answer Me. f darkness. May God help you, in Jesus name. Amen.

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The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Saturday December 16, 2023 (NIV)

Micah 5-7

A Promised Ruler From Bethlehem

5 [a]Marshal your troops now, city of troops,
for a siege is laid against us.
They will strike Israel’s ruler
on the cheek(A) with a rod.

2 “But you, Bethlehem(B) Ephrathah,(C)
though you are small among the clans[b] of Judah,
out of you will come for me
one who will be ruler(D) over Israel,
whose origins are from of old,(E)
from ancient times.”(F)

3 Therefore Israel will be abandoned(G)
until the time when she who is in labor bears a son,
and the rest of his brothers return
to join the Israelites.

4 He will stand and shepherd his flock(H)
in the strength of the Lord,
in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they will live securely, for then his greatness(I)
will reach to the ends of the earth.

5 And he will be our peace(J)
when the Assyrians invade(K) our land
and march through our fortresses.
We will raise against them seven shepherds,
even eight commanders,(L)
6 who will rule[c] the land of Assyria with the sword,
the land of Nimrod(M) with drawn sword.[d](N)
He will deliver us from the Assyrians
when they invade our land
and march across our borders.(O)

7 The remnant(P) of Jacob will be
in the midst of many peoples
like dew(Q) from the Lord,
like showers on the grass,(R)
which do not wait for anyone
or depend on man.
8 The remnant of Jacob will be among the nations,
in the midst of many peoples,
like a lion among the beasts of the forest,(S)
like a young lion among flocks of sheep,
which mauls and mangles(T) as it goes,
and no one can rescue.(U)
9 Your hand will be lifted up(V) in triumph over your enemies,
and all your foes will be destroyed.

10 “In that day,” declares the Lord,

“I will destroy your horses from among you
and demolish your chariots.(W)
11 I will destroy the cities(X) of your land
and tear down all your strongholds.(Y)
12 I will destroy your witchcraft
and you will no longer cast spells.(Z)
13 I will destroy your idols(AA)
and your sacred stones from among you;(AB)
you will no longer bow down
to the work of your hands.(AC)
14 I will uproot from among you your Asherah poles[e](AD)
when I demolish your cities.
15 I will take vengeance(AE) in anger and wrath
on the nations that have not obeyed me.”

The Lord’s Case Against Israel

6 Listen to what the Lord says:

“Stand up, plead my case before the mountains;(AF)
let the hills hear what you have to say.

2 “Hear,(AG) you mountains, the Lord’s accusation;(AH)
listen, you everlasting foundations of the earth.
For the Lord has a case(AI) against his people;
he is lodging a charge(AJ) against Israel.

3 “My people, what have I done to you?
How have I burdened(AK) you?(AL) Answer me.
4 I brought you up out of Egypt(AM)
and redeemed you from the land of slavery.(AN)
I sent Moses(AO) to lead you,
also Aaron(AP) and Miriam.(AQ)
5 My people, remember
what Balak(AR) king of Moab plotted
and what Balaam son of Beor answered.
Remember your journey from Shittim(AS) to Gilgal,(AT)
that you may know the righteous acts(AU) of the Lord.”

6 With what shall I come before(AV) the Lord
and bow down before the exalted God?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,
with calves a year old?(AW)
7 Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,(AX)
with ten thousand rivers of olive oil?(AY)
Shall I offer my firstborn(AZ) for my transgression,
the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?(BA)
8 He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly(BB) and to love mercy
and to walk humbly[f](BC) with your God.(BD)

Israel’s Guilt and Punishment

9 Listen! The Lord is calling to the city—
and to fear your name is wisdom—
“Heed the rod(BE) and the One who appointed it.[g]
10 Am I still to forget your ill-gotten treasures, you wicked house,
and the short ephah,[h] which is accursed?(BF)
11 Shall I acquit someone with dishonest scales,(BG)
with a bag of false weights?(BH)
12 Your rich people are violent;(BI)
your inhabitants are liars(BJ)
and their tongues speak deceitfully.(BK)
13 Therefore, I have begun to destroy(BL) you,
to ruin[i] you because of your sins.
14 You will eat but not be satisfied;(BM)
your stomach will still be empty.[j]
You will store up but save nothing,(BN)
because what you save[k] I will give to the sword.
15 You will plant but not harvest;(BO)
you will press olives but not use the oil,
you will crush grapes but not drink the wine.(BP)
16 You have observed the statutes of Omri(BQ)
and all the practices of Ahab’s(BR) house;
you have followed their traditions.(BS)
Therefore I will give you over to ruin(BT)
and your people to derision;
you will bear the scorn(BU) of the nations.[l]”

Israel’s Misery

7 What misery is mine!
I am like one who gathers summer fruit
at the gleaning of the vineyard;
there is no cluster of grapes to eat,
none of the early figs(BV) that I crave.
2 The faithful have been swept from the land;(BW)
not one(BX) upright person remains.
Everyone lies in wait(BY) to shed blood;(BZ)
they hunt each other(CA) with nets.(CB)
3 Both hands are skilled in doing evil;(CC)
the ruler demands gifts,
the judge accepts bribes,(CD)
the powerful dictate what they desire—
they all conspire together.
4 The best of them is like a brier,(CE)
the most upright worse than a thorn(CF) hedge.
The day God visits you has come,
the day your watchmen sound the alarm.
Now is the time of your confusion.(CG)
5 Do not trust a neighbor;
put no confidence in a friend.(CH)
Even with the woman who lies in your embrace
guard the words of your lips.
6 For a son dishonors his father,
a daughter rises up against her mother,(CI)
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—
a man’s enemies are the members of his own household.(CJ)

7 But as for me, I watch(CK) in hope(CL) for the Lord,
I wait for God my Savior;
my God will hear(CM) me.

Israel Will Rise

8 Do not gloat over me,(CN) my enemy!
Though I have fallen, I will rise.(CO)
Though I sit in darkness,
the Lord will be my light.(CP)
9 Because I have sinned against him,
I will bear the Lord’s wrath,(CQ)
until he pleads my case(CR)
and upholds my cause.
He will bring me out into the light;(CS)
I will see his righteousness.(CT)
10 Then my enemy will see it
and will be covered with shame,(CU)
she who said to me,
“Where is the Lord your God?”(CV)
My eyes will see her downfall;(CW)
even now she will be trampled(CX) underfoot
like mire in the streets.

11 The day for building your walls(CY) will come,
the day for extending your boundaries.
12 In that day people will come to you
from Assyria(CZ) and the cities of Egypt,
even from Egypt to the Euphrates
and from sea to sea
and from mountain to mountain.(DA)
13 The earth will become desolate because of its inhabitants,
as the result of their deeds.(DB)

Prayer and Praise

14 Shepherd(DC) your people with your staff,(DD)
the flock of your inheritance,
which lives by itself in a forest,
in fertile pasturelands.[m](DE)
Let them feed in Bashan(DF) and Gilead(DG)
as in days long ago.(DH)

15 “As in the days when you came out of Egypt,
I will show them my wonders.(DI)”

16 Nations will see and be ashamed,(DJ)
deprived of all their power.
They will put their hands over their mouths(DK)
and their ears will become deaf.
17 They will lick dust(DL) like a snake,
like creatures that crawl on the ground.
They will come trembling(DM) out of their dens;
they will turn in fear(DN) to the Lord our God
and will be afraid of you.
18 Who is a God(DO) like you,
who pardons sin(DP) and forgives(DQ) the transgression
of the remnant(DR) of his inheritance?(DS)
You do not stay angry(DT) forever
but delight to show mercy.(DU)
19 You will again have compassion on us;
you will tread our sins underfoot
and hurl all our iniquities(DV) into the depths of the sea.(DW)
20 You will be faithful to Jacob,
and show love to Abraham,(DX)
as you pledged on oath to our ancestors(DY)
in days long ago.(DZ)

Footnotes:

  1. Micah 5:1 In Hebrew texts 5:1 is numbered 4:14, and 5:2-15 is numbered 5:1-14.
  2. Micah 5:2 Or rulers
  3. Micah 5:6 Or crush
  4. Micah 5:6 Or Nimrod in its gates
  5. Micah 5:14 That is, wooden symbols of the goddess Asherah
  6. Micah 6:8 Or prudently
  7. Micah 6:9 The meaning of the Hebrew for this line is uncertain.
  8. Micah 6:10 An ephah was a dry measure.
  9. Micah 6:13 Or Therefore, I will make you ill and destroy you; / I will ruin
  10. Micah 6:14 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
  11. Micah 6:14 Or You will press toward birth but not give birth, / and what you bring to birth
  12. Micah 6:16 Septuagint; Hebrew scorn due my people
  13. Micah 7:14 Or in the middle of Carmel

Cross references:

  1. Micah 5:1 : La 3:30
  2. Micah 5:2 : S Jn 7:42
  3. Micah 5:2 : S Ge 35:16; S 48:7
  4. Micah 5:2 : S Nu 24:19; S 1Sa 13:14; S 2Sa 6:21; S 2Ch 7:18
  5. Micah 5:2 : Ps 102:25
  6. Micah 5:2 : Mt 2:6*
  7. Micah 5:3 : S Jer 7:29
  8. Micah 5:4 : Isa 40:11; 49:9; S Eze 34:11-15, 23; Mic 7:14
  9. Micah 5:4 : Isa 52:13; Lk 1:32
  10. Micah 5:5 : S Isa 9:6; S Lk 2:14; Col 1:19-20
  11. Micah 5:5 : Isa 8:7
  12. Micah 5:5 : Isa 10:24-27
  13. Micah 5:6 : Ge 10:8
  14. Micah 5:6 : Zep 2:13
  15. Micah 5:6 : Na 2:11-13
  16. Micah 5:7 : S Am 5:15; S Mic 2:12
  17. Micah 5:7 : S Ps 133:3
  18. Micah 5:7 : Isa 44:4
  19. Micah 5:8 : S Ge 49:9
  20. Micah 5:8 : Mic 4:13; Zec 10:5
  21. Micah 5:8 : S Ps 50:22; S Isa 5:29; S Hos 5:14
  22. Micah 5:9 : S Ps 10:12
  23. Micah 5:10 : Ex 15:4, 19; S Hos 14:3; Hag 2:22; Zec 9:10
  24. Micah 5:11 : S Dt 29:23; Isa 6:11
  25. Micah 5:11 : S La 2:2; S Hos 10:14; Am 5:9
  26. Micah 5:12 : Dt 18:10-12; Isa 2:6; 8:19
  27. Micah 5:13 : Na 1:14
  28. Micah 5:13 : Hos 10:2
  29. Micah 5:13 : S Isa 2:18; S Eze 6:9; Zec 13:2
  30. Micah 5:14 : S Ex 34:13; S Jdg 3:7; S 2Ki 17:10
  31. Micah 5:15 : S Isa 65:12
  32. Micah 6:1 : S Ps 50:1; S Eze 6:2
  33. Micah 6:2 : Dt 32:1
  34. Micah 6:2 : S Hos 12:2
  35. Micah 6:2 : S Isa 3:13
  36. Micah 6:2 : Ps 50:7; S Jer 2:9
  37. Micah 6:3 : Jer 2:5
  38. Micah 6:3 : Jer 2:5
  39. Micah 6:4 : S Ex 3:10; S 6:6
  40. Micah 6:4 : Dt 7:8
  41. Micah 6:4 : S Ex 4:16
  42. Micah 6:4 : S Nu 33:1; Ps 77:20
  43. Micah 6:4 : S Ex 15:20
  44. Micah 6:5 : S Nu 22:2
  45. Micah 6:5 : S Nu 25:1
  46. Micah 6:5 : S Dt 11:30; Jos 5:9-10
  47. Micah 6:5 : Jdg 5:11; 1Sa 12:7
  48. Micah 6:6 : S Ps 95:2
  49. Micah 6:6 : Ps 40:6-8; 51:16-17
  50. Micah 6:7 : S Isa 1:11; S 40:16
  51. Micah 6:7 : Ps 50:8-10
  52. Micah 6:7 : S Lev 18:21; S 2Ki 3:27
  53. Micah 6:7 : Hos 5:6; S Am 5:22
  54. Micah 6:8 : S Isa 1:17; S Jer 22:3
  55. Micah 6:8 : S 2Ki 22:19; S Isa 57:15
  56. Micah 6:8 : S Ge 5:22; Dt 10:12-13; 1Sa 15:22; Hos 6:6; Zec 7:9-10; Mt 9:13; 23:23; Mk 12:33; Lk 11:42
  57. Micah 6:9 : S Ge 17:1; Isa 11:4
  58. Micah 6:10 : Eze 45:9-10; S Am 3:10; 8:4-6
  59. Micah 6:11 : S Lev 19:36
  60. Micah 6:11 : S Dt 25:13
  61. Micah 6:12 : S Isa 1:23
  62. Micah 6:12 : S Ps 116:11; Isa 3:8
  63. Micah 6:12 : S Ps 35:20; S Jer 9:3
  64. Micah 6:13 : Isa 1:7; 6:11
  65. Micah 6:14 : S Isa 9:20; S Hos 4:10
  66. Micah 6:14 : Isa 30:6
  67. Micah 6:15 : S Dt 28:38; Jer 12:13
  68. Micah 6:15 : Job 24:11; S Am 5:11; Zep 1:13
  69. Micah 6:16 : S 1Ki 16:25
  70. Micah 6:16 : 1Ki 16:29-33
  71. Micah 6:16 : Jer 7:24
  72. Micah 6:16 : S Jer 25:9
  73. Micah 6:16 : S Dt 28:37; S Jer 51:51; S Mic 2:6
  74. Micah 7:1 : S SS 2:13
  75. Micah 7:2 : S Ps 12:1
  76. Micah 7:2 : S Jer 2:29; 8:6
  77. Micah 7:2 : Ps 10:8
  78. Micah 7:2 : S Pr 6:17; S Mic 3:10
  79. Micah 7:2 : S Isa 3:5
  80. Micah 7:2 : S Jer 5:26
  81. Micah 7:3 : S Pr 4:16
  82. Micah 7:3 : S Ex 23:8; S Eze 22:12
  83. Micah 7:4 : S Nu 33:55; S Eze 2:6
  84. Micah 7:4 : S 2Sa 23:6
  85. Micah 7:4 : S Job 31:14; Isa 22:5; S Hos 9:7
  86. Micah 7:5 : Jer 9:4
  87. Micah 7:6 : S Eze 22:7
  88. Micah 7:6 : Mt 10:35-36*; S Mk 13:12
  89. Micah 7:7 : S Isa 21:8
  90. Micah 7:7 : Ps 130:5; Isa 25:9
  91. Micah 7:7 : S Ps 4:3
  92. Micah 7:8 : S Ps 22:17; S Pr 24:17; S Mic 4:11
  93. Micah 7:8 : Ps 20:8; 37:24; S Am 9:11
  94. Micah 7:8 : S 2Sa 22:29; Isa 9:2
  95. Micah 7:9 : La 3:39-40
  96. Micah 7:9 : S Ps 119:154
  97. Micah 7:9 : S Ps 107:10
  98. Micah 7:9 : Isa 46:13
  99. Micah 7:10 : S Ps 35:26
  100. Micah 7:10 : S Ps 42:3
  101. Micah 7:10 : S Isa 51:23
  102. Micah 7:10 : S 2Sa 22:43; S Job 40:12; S Isa 5:5; Zec 10:5
  103. Micah 7:11 : Isa 54:11; S Am 9:11
  104. Micah 7:12 : S Isa 11:11
  105. Micah 7:12 : Isa 19:23-25; 60:4
  106. Micah 7:13 : Isa 3:10-11; S Eze 12:19; S 33:28-29
  107. Micah 7:14 : S Ps 28:9; S Mic 5:4
  108. Micah 7:14 : Ps 23:4
  109. Micah 7:14 : Ps 95:7
  110. Micah 7:14 : S Isa 33:9
  111. Micah 7:14 : S SS 4:1; S Jer 50:19
  112. Micah 7:14 : Eze 36:11
  113. Micah 7:15 : S Ex 3:20; Ps 78:12
  114. Micah 7:16 : Isa 26:11
  115. Micah 7:16 : S Jdg 18:19
  116. Micah 7:17 : S Ge 3:14
  117. Micah 7:17 : 2Sa 22:46
  118. Micah 7:17 : Isa 25:3; 59:19
  119. Micah 7:18 : S Ex 8:10; S 1Sa 2:2
  120. Micah 7:18 : S Isa 43:25; S Jer 50:20; Zec 3:4
  121. Micah 7:18 : S 2Ch 6:21; Ps 103:8-13
  122. Micah 7:18 : S Joel 2:32; S Am 5:15; S Mic 2:12
  123. Micah 7:18 : S Ex 34:9
  124. Micah 7:18 : S Ps 103:9; S Isa 54:9
  125. Micah 7:18 : S 2Ch 30:9; S Jer 31:20; 32:41; S Eze 18:23
  126. Micah 7:19 : S Isa 43:25
  127. Micah 7:19 : S Jer 31:34
  128. Micah 7:20 : Gal 3:16
  129. Micah 7:20 : Dt 7:8; Lk 1:72
  130. Micah 7:20 : Ps 108:4
New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Revelation 7

144,000 Sealed

7 After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners(A) of the earth, holding back the four winds(B) of the earth to prevent(C) any wind from blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree. 2 Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal(D) of the living God.(E) He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea:(F) 3 “Do not harm(G) the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads(H) of the servants of our God.” 4 Then I heard the number(I) of those who were sealed: 144,000(J) from all the tribes of Israel.

5 From the tribe of Judah 12,000 were sealed,

from the tribe of Reuben 12,000,

from the tribe of Gad 12,000,

6 from the tribe of Asher 12,000,

from the tribe of Naphtali 12,000,

from the tribe of Manasseh 12,000,

7 from the tribe of Simeon 12,000,

from the tribe of Levi 12,000,

from the tribe of Issachar 12,000,

8 from the tribe of Zebulun 12,000,

from the tribe of Joseph 12,000,

from the tribe of Benjamin 12,000.

The Great Multitude in White Robes

9 After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language,(K) standing before the throne(L) and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes(M) and were holding palm branches in their hands. 10 And they cried out in a loud voice:

“Salvation belongs to our God,(N)
who sits on the throne,(O)
and to the Lamb.”

11 All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders(P) and the four living creatures.(Q) They fell down on their faces(R) before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying:

“Amen!
Praise and glory
and wisdom and thanks and honor
and power and strength
be to our God for ever and ever.
Amen!”(S)

13 Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes(T)—who are they, and where did they come from?”

14 I answered, “Sir, you know.”

And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes(U) and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.(V) 15 Therefore,

“they are before the throne of God(W)
and serve him(X) day and night in his temple;(Y)
and he who sits on the throne(Z)
will shelter them with his presence.(AA)
16 ‘Never again will they hunger;
never again will they thirst.(AB)
The sun will not beat down on them,’[a]
nor any scorching heat.(AC)
17 For the Lamb at the center of the throne
will be their shepherd;(AD)
‘he will lead them to springs of living water.’[b](AE)
‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’[c]”(AF)

Footnotes:

  1. Revelation 7:16 Isaiah 49:10
  2. Revelation 7:17 Isaiah 49:10
  3. Revelation 7:17 Isaiah 25:8

Cross references:

  1. Revelation 7:1 : Isa 11:12
  2. Revelation 7:1 : Jer 49:36; Eze 37:9; Da 7:2; Zec 6:5; Mt 24:31
  3. Revelation 7:1 : S Rev 6:6
  4. Revelation 7:2 : Rev 9:4
  5. Revelation 7:2 : S Mt 16:16
  6. Revelation 7:2 : ver 1
  7. Revelation 7:3 : S Rev 6:6
  8. Revelation 7:3 : Eze 9:4; Rev 9:4; 14:1; 22:4
  9. Revelation 7:4 : Rev 9:16
  10. Revelation 7:4 : Rev 14:1, 3
  11. Revelation 7:9 : S Rev 13:7
  12. Revelation 7:9 : ver 15
  13. Revelation 7:9 : S Rev 3:4
  14. Revelation 7:10 : Ps 3:8; Rev 12:10; 19:1
  15. Revelation 7:10 : S Rev 5:1
  16. Revelation 7:11 : S Rev 4:4
  17. Revelation 7:11 : S Rev 4:6
  18. Revelation 7:11 : S Rev 4:10
  19. Revelation 7:12 : S Ro 11:36; Rev 5:12-14
  20. Revelation 7:13 : S Rev 3:4
  21. Revelation 7:14 : Rev 22:14
  22. Revelation 7:14 : Heb 9:14; 1Jn 1:7; Rev 12:11
  23. Revelation 7:15 : ver 9
  24. Revelation 7:15 : Rev 22:3
  25. Revelation 7:15 : Rev 11:19
  26. Revelation 7:15 : S Rev 5:1
  27. Revelation 7:15 : Isa 4:5, 6; Rev 21:3
  28. Revelation 7:16 : Jn 6:35
  29. Revelation 7:16 : Isa 49:10
  30. Revelation 7:17 : S Jn 10:11
  31. Revelation 7:17 : S Jn 4:10
  32. Revelation 7:17 : Isa 25:8; 35:10; 51:11; 65:19; Rev 21:4
New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Psalm 135

Psalm 135(A)

1 Praise the Lord.[a]

Praise the name of the Lord;
praise him, you servants(B) of the Lord,
2 you who minister in the house(C) of the Lord,
in the courts(D) of the house of our God.

3 Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good;(E)
sing praise to his name,(F) for that is pleasant.(G)
4 For the Lord has chosen Jacob(H) to be his own,
Israel to be his treasured possession.(I)

5 I know that the Lord is great,(J)
that our Lord is greater than all gods.(K)
6 The Lord does whatever pleases him,(L)
in the heavens and on the earth,(M)
in the seas and all their depths.
7 He makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth;
he sends lightning with the rain(N)
and brings out the wind(O) from his storehouses.(P)

8 He struck down the firstborn(Q) of Egypt,
the firstborn of people and animals.
9 He sent his signs(R) and wonders into your midst, Egypt,
against Pharaoh and all his servants.(S)
10 He struck down many(T) nations
and killed mighty kings—
11 Sihon(U) king of the Amorites,(V)
Og king of Bashan,(W)
and all the kings of Canaan(X)—
12 and he gave their land as an inheritance,(Y)
an inheritance to his people Israel.

13 Your name, Lord, endures forever,(Z)
your renown,(AA) Lord, through all generations.
14 For the Lord will vindicate his people(AB)
and have compassion on his servants.(AC)

15 The idols of the nations(AD) are silver and gold,
made by human hands.(AE)
16 They have mouths, but cannot speak,(AF)
eyes, but cannot see.
17 They have ears, but cannot hear,
nor is there breath(AG) in their mouths.
18 Those who make them will be like them,
and so will all who trust in them.

19 All you Israelites, praise the Lord;(AH)
house of Aaron, praise the Lord;
20 house of Levi, praise the Lord;
you who fear him, praise the Lord.
21 Praise be to the Lord from Zion,(AI)
to him who dwells in Jerusalem.(AJ)

Praise the Lord.

Footnotes:

  1. Psalm 135:1 Hebrew Hallelu Yah; also in verses 3 and 21

Cross references:

  1. Psalm 135:1 : 135:15-20pp — Ps 115:4-11
  2. Psalm 135:1 : Ne 7:73
  3. Psalm 135:2 : S 1Ch 15:2; Lk 2:37
  4. Psalm 135:2 : S Ps 116:19
  5. Psalm 135:3 : S 1Ch 16:34; S Ps 119:68
  6. Psalm 135:3 : S Ps 68:4
  7. Psalm 135:3 : S Ps 92:1; 147:1
  8. Psalm 135:4 : S Dt 10:15
  9. Psalm 135:4 : Ex 19:5; Dt 7:6; Mal 3:17; S Tit 2:14
  10. Psalm 135:5 : S Ps 48:1; 145:3
  11. Psalm 135:5 : S Ex 12:12; S 1Ch 16:25; S Job 21:22
  12. Psalm 135:6 : Ps 115:3; Da 4:35
  13. Psalm 135:6 : Mt 6:10
  14. Psalm 135:7 : S Job 5:10; Ps 68:9; Isa 30:23; Jer 10:13; 51:16; Joel 2:23; Zec 10:1
  15. Psalm 135:7 : Am 4:13
  16. Psalm 135:7 : S Dt 28:12
  17. Psalm 135:8 : S Ex 4:23; S 12:12
  18. Psalm 135:9 : S Ex 7:9
  19. Psalm 135:9 : Ps 136:10-15
  20. Psalm 135:10 : Nu 21:21-25; Jos 24:8-11; Ps 44:2; 78:55; 136:17-21
  21. Psalm 135:11 : S Nu 21:21
  22. Psalm 135:11 : S Nu 21:26
  23. Psalm 135:11 : S Nu 21:33
  24. Psalm 135:11 : S Jos 12:7-24; 24:12
  25. Psalm 135:12 : S Dt 29:8
  26. Psalm 135:13 : S Ex 3:15
  27. Psalm 135:13 : S Ps 102:12
  28. Psalm 135:14 : S 1Sa 24:15; Heb 10:30*
  29. Psalm 135:14 : S Dt 32:36
  30. Psalm 135:15 : Ps 96:5; Rev 9:20
  31. Psalm 135:15 : Isa 2:8; 31:7; 37:19; 40:19; Jer 1:16; 10:5
  32. Psalm 135:16 : S 1Ki 18:26
  33. Psalm 135:17 : Jer 10:14; Hab 2:19
  34. Psalm 135:19 : S Ps 22:23
  35. Psalm 135:21 : Ps 128:5; 134:3
  36. Psalm 135:21 : S 1Ki 8:13; S 2Ch 6:2
New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Proverbs 30:5-6

5 “Every word of God is flawless;(A)
he is a shield(B) to those who take refuge in him.
6 Do not add(C) to his words,
or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar.

Cross references:

  1. Proverbs 30:5 : S Ps 12:6; S 18:30
  2. Proverbs 30:5 : S Ge 15:1
  3. Proverbs 30:6 : S Dt 4:2
New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

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12/14/2023 DAB Transcript

Jonah 1:1-4:11, Revelations 5:1-14, Psalm 133:1-3, Proverbs 29:26-27

Today is the 14th day of December, welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I’m Brian. It’s fantastic right, it’s wonderful to be here, wonderful to have this place to be around the Global Campfire, as we navigate through December together and the festivities before us, and the Scriptures before us. We’ve been working our way through the minor prophets in the Old Testament. That’s how the Old Testament ends.

Introduction to the Book of Jonah:

So, today we’re reaching another one of those minor prophet books, and this one has bit of a twist to it. We’ll be reading the book of Jonah and Jonah was a prophet who lived in the northern kingdom of Israel. Basically, just west of the southern portion of the Sea of Galilee during the reign of King Jeroboam. And we’ve read a number of the prophets in the Scriptures and we know that the Bible uses the prophets to call their own people, the Jewish people, the Hebrew people to repentance. Jonah’s mission was to go to a totally different city and a totally different people. He was to go to the city of Nineveh, which is one of the largest cities in the world at that time, the ruins of ancient and are still existent near the modern city of Mosul in Iraq. A lot of, a lot of those rooms were damaged in some of the unrest that has been in that region, but they still exist. And Jonah did not want to do this assignment whatsoever. God commanded him to go to a people who were enemies of Israel and enemies of God. So, so Jonah ran away, opposite direction. Total opposite direction, ran to the Mediterranean coast, got on a boat near Tel Aviv, what would be modern Tel Aviv, and took off, and it’s famous, this is a really famous story from Sunday school because Jonah ends up in the belly of a great fish. And after three days of repenting, he is spewed out on the shore alive. So, for we who believe in Jesus, we can see the aforesaid shadowing of Jesus in this story, but it also has so many parallels in our lives. When we let fear and arrogance and pride and all of the things that just pull us into darkness. We let those things lead us into darkness, we will find ourselves on the run from God. That’s probably, we probably already know that, but we probably don’t, maybe fully completely understand that there is no running from God. Jonah, he’s swallowed in the open sea by a great fish which is a tragedy, but the tragedy becomes his salvation. He would have died and drowned in that storm. The journey would’ve been terrifying inside of a fish. But God used the fish to deliver Jonah alive to dry ground to finish the mission which he does, and he doesn’t like it, right till the very end. But we’ll see that all because we’re gonna read the entire book of Jonah today.

Prayer:

Father, we thank You for Your word, we thank You for this is territory that we’re moving so rapidly through in the minor prophets, so quickly that we’re reading books in a day and absorbing that and we ask Your Holy Spirit to help us as we’ve gone through the book of Jonah today. We know the story of the great fish, Jonah in the whale, but often we don’t think about the implications of running away from You into a storm. May we take the lessons that are apparent before us and consider the ways that we just simply don’t want to obey You. And so, we’re going in the opposite direction, thinking we’re to get away with it, thinking we’re gonna out run or hide from You, as if. Help us to humble ourselves under Your mighty hand, that in due season You will lift us up. We pray this in the precious name of Jesus. Amen.

Announcements:

dailyaudiobible.com that is home base, it’s the website, it’s where you find out what’s going on around here and it’s Christmas time around here. So, for Christmas this year, as I’ve been mentioning for the last couple of weeks, we printed vinyl albums of the Daily Audio Bible music and packaged them beautifully so that they’re like commemorative collector’s edition things in small quantities and made them beautiful. And all of the resources that come from the proceeds from this are invested into what’s coming next year, which is brand-new everything. A brand-new home for the Global Campfire, a brand-new Daily Audio Bible app, and a much more stable environment for us to operate from. And so, thank you for your partnership on that. You can find these at dailyaudiobible.com or in the app. Just go to the Shop, and in the Shop, you’ll find the Christmas Section and you can look at everything there. Thank you so much.

And if you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible before the end of the year, thank you, profoundly, profoundly for your partnership. There is a link on the homepage at dailyaudiobible.com. If you’re using the app, you can press the Give button in the upper right-hand corner or the mailing address is P.O. Box 1996 Springhill, Tennessee 37174.

And as always, if you have a prayer request or encouragement, you can hit the Hotline button in the app, that’s little red button up at the top, or you can dial 877-942-4253.

And that’s it for today, I’m Brian and I love you and I’ll be waiting for you here tomorrow.

Prayer and Encouragements:

Blessings dear Audio Bible Family. This is Rose. Today is December the 5th. I was going to call in for prayer today to seek for wisdom, to know how to deal with my brother who’s been addicted to drugs for 25 years. He’s been in-and-out of different rehabs and just at a loss to know how to help him. But more importantly, on my heart now is Blind Tony. I just heard his call in about the fire in his house. Thank God, Blind Tony, that you are okay, that your sister is okay. But we are standing in prayer for you and asking God to restore everything that the enemy has tried to steal. You are such a blessing to this community. And we will be praying so hard. Please, if you could, just put your email address again on the…on the prayer wall. I’d love to reach out.

Hey guys, this is Miranda from South Carolina. And I’m calling cause I actually nanny everyday, it’s my job. And one of my children has a prayer request that they would like to call into you guys. Cause you guys are the prayer warriors. So, his name is Ransom. And I’m calling in because my friend Sam, his parents are getting divorced and he needs some, and his brothers, and he needs some love and support. Thank you. Thank you guys. I know you guys can handle this prayer and send some love to this family. Hopefully God can bring them back together and build this family back and make it even stronger than before. Alright, thank you guys.

Hi, this is Sally from Alberta, Canada. I just want to lift up Delta Alpha Foxtrot. I can’t imagine what you’re going through, my friend. But I just know that our God is an amazing, amazing God. And that I just claim, in the name of Jesus, His mighty, mighty peace, that surpasses all understanding right over you today and all your loved ones. That you will have the strength to just step one foot in front of the other. That He will be a light unto your feet, and His help to take one step at a time moving forward. And I just pray that even though these things don’t make sense right now, you’ll just have the grace and the presence and the peace of the Lord Jesus Christ with you. Blind Tony, I’ve never heard you feel so down but you just sound, oh, my heart is breaking for you right now. And again, I just pray that our Lord, our Savior, to put His peace around you right now. That you find alternative accommodations, that your home is restored and just remember my brother that our Lord is a faithful Lord. You know that you don’t need me to tell you that. But He loves you. And I’m just so glad that His angels were around you and kept you safe in that fire. And that you still find a place to rejoice in this. And I just know that even __ and that He’s just got you in the palm of His hand.

Hey guys, it’s Eyes of a Dove. Angie, South Dakota, your grandfather is at stage 4 cancer, and he has passed away and you’re asking for our family to essentially sit in shiva. That your husband and your extended family, they’re suffering with this unexpected loss. I’m just praying that the father would come and wrap His mighty arms around all of you and give you comfort and peace during this time of loss. I’m surely coming up on your tail feathers my friend, as my father is getting close to the end of his life as well. Praying for you, my friend. Delta Alpha Foxtrot, I’m praying for you my friend for, as you have also ushered your father into the kingdom of God. I’m praying for you. What a bittersweet time. Flying Tony, so sorry about the fire. Blind Tony, I apologize. I’m so sorry for that fire in your house. Oh, my goodness. Praise God, you guys are all alive. I’m sorry for that destruction and that you can’t stay in there. And I’m asking God for those resources to come quickly so they can get back in their home. Pamela, we’re praying for you in Florida, that the enemy cannot kill, steal, and destroy anybody in your family, in the name of Yeshua. We pray for physical healing, we pray for mental healing and health, protection. Father God, would You come and just put your hand on all of them, right now. Lift up our dear Pamela. Praying for Rifka. And thank you for praying for me, sweet friend. As your father is also living the twilight phase of his life. So many of us our losing our fathers. Help her have a supernatural peace and joy. As she loves her father good. And it’s just a beautiful time for them to be together while he packs for eternity. In the Vine, I’m so happy to hear __ God is healing you, your heart and your mind. And what a wonderful ministry that your involved in, brother. So cool to hear all about it. Anyways, that’s it for now. I’ll call back with some more friends. I love you. Cherish yourself and each other. Bye.

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The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Friday December 15, 2023 (NIV)

Micah 1-4

1 The word of the Lord that came to Micah of Moresheth(A) during the reigns of Jotham,(B) Ahaz(C) and Hezekiah,(D) kings of Judah(E)—the vision(F) he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem.

2 Hear,(G) you peoples, all of you,(H)
listen, earth(I) and all who live in it,
that the Sovereign Lord may bear witness(J) against you,
the Lord from his holy temple.(K)

Judgment Against Samaria and Jerusalem

3 Look! The Lord is coming from his dwelling(L) place;
he comes down(M) and treads on the heights of the earth.(N)
4 The mountains melt(O) beneath him(P)
and the valleys split apart,(Q)
like wax before the fire,
like water rushing down a slope.
5 All this is because of Jacob’s transgression,
because of the sins of the people of Israel.
What is Jacob’s transgression?
Is it not Samaria?(R)
What is Judah’s high place?
Is it not Jerusalem?

6 “Therefore I will make Samaria a heap of rubble,
a place for planting vineyards.(S)
I will pour her stones(T) into the valley
and lay bare her foundations.(U)
7 All her idols(V) will be broken to pieces;(W)
all her temple gifts will be burned with fire;
I will destroy all her images.(X)
Since she gathered her gifts from the wages of prostitutes,(Y)
as the wages of prostitutes they will again be used.”

Weeping and Mourning

8 Because of this I will weep(Z) and wail;
I will go about barefoot(AA) and naked.
I will howl like a jackal
and moan like an owl.
9 For Samaria’s plague(AB) is incurable;(AC)
it has spread to Judah.(AD)
It has reached the very gate(AE) of my people,
even to Jerusalem itself.
10 Tell it not in Gath[a];
weep not at all.
In Beth Ophrah[b]
roll in the dust.
11 Pass by naked(AF) and in shame,
you who live in Shaphir.[c]
Those who live in Zaanan[d]
will not come out.
Beth Ezel is in mourning;
it no longer protects you.
12 Those who live in Maroth[e] writhe in pain,
waiting for relief,(AG)
because disaster(AH) has come from the Lord,
even to the gate of Jerusalem.
13 You who live in Lachish,(AI)
harness fast horses to the chariot.
You are where the sin of Daughter Zion(AJ) began,
for the transgressions of Israel were found in you.
14 Therefore you will give parting gifts(AK)
to Moresheth(AL) Gath.
The town of Akzib[f](AM) will prove deceptive(AN)
to the kings of Israel.
15 I will bring a conqueror against you
who live in Mareshah.[g](AO)
The nobles of Israel
will flee to Adullam.(AP)
16 Shave(AQ) your head in mourning
for the children in whom you delight;
make yourself as bald as the vulture,
for they will go from you into exile.(AR)

Human Plans and God’s Plans

2 Woe to those who plan iniquity,
to those who plot evil(AS) on their beds!(AT)
At morning’s light they carry it out
because it is in their power to do it.
2 They covet fields(AU) and seize them,(AV)
and houses, and take them.
They defraud(AW) people of their homes,
they rob them of their inheritance.(AX)

3 Therefore, the Lord says:

“I am planning disaster(AY) against this people,
from which you cannot save yourselves.
You will no longer walk proudly,(AZ)
for it will be a time of calamity.
4 In that day people will ridicule you;
they will taunt you with this mournful song:
‘We are utterly ruined;(BA)
my people’s possession is divided up.(BB)
He takes it from me!
He assigns our fields to traitors.’”

5 Therefore you will have no one in the assembly of the Lord
to divide the land(BC) by lot.(BD)

False Prophets

6 “Do not prophesy,” their prophets say.
“Do not prophesy about these things;
disgrace(BE) will not overtake us.(BF)”
7 You descendants of Jacob, should it be said,
“Does the Lord become[h] impatient?
Does he do such things?”

“Do not my words do good(BG)
to the one whose ways are upright?(BH)
8 Lately my people have risen up
like an enemy.
You strip off the rich robe
from those who pass by without a care,
like men returning from battle.
9 You drive the women of my people
from their pleasant homes.(BI)
You take away my blessing
from their children forever.
10 Get up, go away!
For this is not your resting place,(BJ)
because it is defiled,(BK)
it is ruined, beyond all remedy.
11 If a liar and deceiver(BL) comes and says,
‘I will prophesy for you plenty of wine and beer,’(BM)
that would be just the prophet for this people!(BN)

Deliverance Promised

12 “I will surely gather all of you, Jacob;
I will surely bring together the remnant(BO) of Israel.
I will bring them together like sheep in a pen,
like a flock in its pasture;
the place will throng with people.(BP)
13 The One who breaks open the way will go up before(BQ) them;
they will break through the gate(BR) and go out.
Their King will pass through before them,
the Lord at their head.”

Leaders and Prophets Rebuked

3 Then I said,

“Listen, you leaders(BS) of Jacob,
you rulers of Israel.
Should you not embrace justice,
2 you who hate good and love evil;
who tear the skin from my people
and the flesh from their bones;(BT)
3 who eat my people’s flesh,(BU)
strip off their skin
and break their bones in pieces;(BV)
who chop(BW) them up like meat for the pan,
like flesh for the pot?(BX)”

4 Then they will cry out to the Lord,
but he will not answer them.(BY)
At that time he will hide his face(BZ) from them
because of the evil they have done.(CA)

5 This is what the Lord says:

“As for the prophets
who lead my people astray,(CB)
they proclaim ‘peace’(CC)
if they have something to eat,
but prepare to wage war against anyone
who refuses to feed them.
6 Therefore night will come over you, without visions,
and darkness, without divination.(CD)
The sun will set for the prophets,(CE)
and the day will go dark for them.(CF)
7 The seers will be ashamed(CG)
and the diviners disgraced.(CH)
They will all cover(CI) their faces(CJ)
because there is no answer from God.(CK)”
8 But as for me, I am filled with power,
with the Spirit of the Lord,
and with justice and might,
to declare to Jacob his transgression,
to Israel his sin.(CL)

9 Hear this, you leaders of Jacob,
you rulers of Israel,
who despise justice
and distort all that is right;(CM)
10 who build(CN) Zion with bloodshed,(CO)
and Jerusalem with wickedness.(CP)
11 Her leaders judge for a bribe,(CQ)
her priests teach for a price,(CR)
and her prophets tell fortunes for money.(CS)
Yet they look(CT) for the Lord’s support and say,
“Is not the Lord among us?
No disaster will come upon us.”(CU)
12 Therefore because of you,
Zion will be plowed like a field,
Jerusalem will become a heap of rubble,(CV)
the temple(CW) hill a mound overgrown with thickets.(CX)

The Mountain of the Lord(CY)

4 In the last days

the mountain(CZ) of the Lord’s temple will be established
as the highest of the mountains;
it will be exalted above the hills,(DA)
and peoples will stream to it.(DB)

2 Many nations will come and say,

“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,(DC)
to the temple of the God of Jacob.(DD)
He will teach us(DE) his ways,(DF)
so that we may walk in his paths.”
The law(DG) will go out from Zion,
the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
3 He will judge between many peoples
and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide.(DH)
They will beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks.(DI)
Nation will not take up sword against nation,
nor will they train for war(DJ) anymore.(DK)
4 Everyone will sit under their own vine
and under their own fig tree,(DL)
and no one will make them afraid,(DM)
for the Lord Almighty has spoken.(DN)
5 All the nations may walk
in the name of their gods,(DO)
but we will walk in the name of the Lord
our God for ever and ever.(DP)

The Lord’s Plan

6 “In that day,” declares the Lord,

“I will gather the lame;(DQ)
I will assemble the exiles(DR)
and those I have brought to grief.(DS)
7 I will make the lame my remnant,(DT)
those driven away a strong nation.(DU)
The Lord will rule over them in Mount Zion(DV)
from that day and forever.(DW)
8 As for you, watchtower of the flock,
stronghold[i] of Daughter Zion,
the former dominion will be restored(DX) to you;
kingship will come to Daughter Jerusalem.(DY)”

9 Why do you now cry aloud—
have you no king[j](DZ)?
Has your ruler[k] perished,
that pain seizes you like that of a woman in labor?(EA)
10 Writhe in agony, Daughter Zion,
like a woman in labor,
for now you must leave the city
to camp in the open field.
You will go to Babylon;(EB)
there you will be rescued.
There the Lord will redeem(EC) you
out of the hand of your enemies.

11 But now many nations
are gathered against you.
They say, “Let her be defiled,
let our eyes gloat(ED) over Zion!”
12 But they do not know
the thoughts of the Lord;
they do not understand his plan,(EE)
that he has gathered them like sheaves to the threshing floor.
13 “Rise and thresh,(EF) Daughter Zion,
for I will give you horns of iron;
I will give you hooves of bronze,
and you will break to pieces many nations.”(EG)
You will devote their ill-gotten gains to the Lord,(EH)
their wealth to the Lord of all the earth.

Footnotes:

  1. Micah 1:10 Gath sounds like the Hebrew for tell.
  2. Micah 1:10 Beth Ophrah means house of dust.
  3. Micah 1:11 Shaphir means pleasant.
  4. Micah 1:11 Zaanan sounds like the Hebrew for come out.
  5. Micah 1:12 Maroth sounds like the Hebrew for bitter.
  6. Micah 1:14 Akzib means deception.
  7. Micah 1:15 Mareshah sounds like the Hebrew for conqueror.
  8. Micah 2:7 Or Is the Spirit of the Lord
  9. Micah 4:8 Or hill
  10. Micah 4:9 Or King
  11. Micah 4:9 Or Ruler

Cross references:

  1. Micah 1:1 : ver 14; Jer 26:18
  2. Micah 1:1 : S 1Ch 3:12
  3. Micah 1:1 : S 1Ch 3:13
  4. Micah 1:1 : S 1Ch 3:13
  5. Micah 1:1 : Hos 1:1
  6. Micah 1:1 : Isa 1:1
  7. Micah 1:2 : S Dt 32:1
  8. Micah 1:2 : Ps 50:7
  9. Micah 1:2 : S Jer 6:19
  10. Micah 1:2 : S Ge 31:50; S Dt 4:26; S Isa 1:2
  11. Micah 1:2 : S Ps 11:4
  12. Micah 1:3 : S Isa 18:4
  13. Micah 1:3 : S Isa 64:1
  14. Micah 1:3 : S Am 4:13
  15. Micah 1:4 : S Ps 46:2, 6
  16. Micah 1:4 : S Job 9:5
  17. Micah 1:4 : S Nu 16:31; Na 1:5
  18. Micah 1:5 : Am 8:14
  19. Micah 1:6 : S Dt 20:6
  20. Micah 1:6 : S Am 5:11
  21. Micah 1:6 : Eze 13:14
  22. Micah 1:7 : S Eze 6:6
  23. Micah 1:7 : S Ex 32:20
  24. Micah 1:7 : S Dt 9:21
  25. Micah 1:7 : Dt 23:17-18
  26. Micah 1:8 : S Isa 15:3
  27. Micah 1:8 : S Isa 20:2
  28. Micah 1:9 : Jer 46:11
  29. Micah 1:9 : S Jer 10:19
  30. Micah 1:9 : S 2Ki 18:13
  31. Micah 1:9 : Isa 3:26
  32. Micah 1:11 : Eze 23:29
  33. Micah 1:12 : Jer 14:19
  34. Micah 1:12 : Jer 40:2
  35. Micah 1:13 : S Jos 10:3
  36. Micah 1:13 : S Ps 9:14
  37. Micah 1:14 : 2Ki 16:8
  38. Micah 1:14 : S ver 1
  39. Micah 1:14 : S Jos 15:44
  40. Micah 1:14 : Jer 15:18
  41. Micah 1:15 : Jos 15:44
  42. Micah 1:15 : S Jos 12:15
  43. Micah 1:16 : S Lev 13:40; S Job 1:20
  44. Micah 1:16 : S Dt 4:27; S Am 5:27
  45. Micah 2:1 : S Isa 29:20
  46. Micah 2:1 : Ps 36:4
  47. Micah 2:2 : Isa 5:8
  48. Micah 2:2 : S Pr 30:14
  49. Micah 2:2 : S Jer 22:17
  50. Micah 2:2 : S 1Sa 8:14; S Isa 1:23; S Eze 46:18
  51. Micah 2:3 : Jer 18:11; S Am 3:1-2
  52. Micah 2:3 : Isa 2:12
  53. Micah 2:4 : S Lev 26:31; S Jer 4:13
  54. Micah 2:4 : S Jer 6:12
  55. Micah 2:5 : Dt 32:13; Jos 18:4
  56. Micah 2:5 : S Nu 34:13
  57. Micah 2:6 : Ps 44:13; Jer 18:16; 19:8; 25:18; 29:18; Mic 6:16
  58. Micah 2:6 : S Am 2:12
  59. Micah 2:7 : S Ps 119:65
  60. Micah 2:7 : Ps 15:2; 84:11
  61. Micah 2:9 : Jer 10:20
  62. Micah 2:10 : S Dt 12:9
  63. Micah 2:10 : Lev 18:25-29; Ps 106:38-39; S La 4:15
  64. Micah 2:11 : S 2Ch 36:16; Jer 5:31
  65. Micah 2:11 : S Lev 10:9
  66. Micah 2:11 : Isa 30:10
  67. Micah 2:12 : Mic 4:7; 5:7; 7:18
  68. Micah 2:12 : S Ne 1:9
  69. Micah 2:13 : S Isa 52:12
  70. Micah 2:13 : S Isa 60:11
  71. Micah 3:1 : S Jer 5:5
  72. Micah 3:2 : Ps 53:4; S Eze 22:27
  73. Micah 3:3 : S Ps 14:4
  74. Micah 3:3 : S Eze 34:4; Zep 3:3
  75. Micah 3:3 : S Job 24:14
  76. Micah 3:3 : S Eze 11:7; S 24:4-5
  77. Micah 3:4 : S Dt 1:45; S 1Sa 8:18; S Isa 58:4; S Jer 11:11
  78. Micah 3:4 : S Dt 31:17
  79. Micah 3:4 : S Job 15:31; S Eze 8:18
  80. Micah 3:5 : S Isa 3:12; S 9:16; S 53:6
  81. Micah 3:5 : S Jer 4:10
  82. Micah 3:6 : Isa 8:19-22; S Eze 12:24
  83. Micah 3:6 : Isa 29:10
  84. Micah 3:6 : S Eze 7:26; S Am 8:11
  85. Micah 3:7 : S Jer 6:15; Mic 7:16
  86. Micah 3:7 : S Isa 44:25
  87. Micah 3:7 : S Est 6:12
  88. Micah 3:7 : S Lev 13:45
  89. Micah 3:7 : S Eze 20:3
  90. Micah 3:8 : S Isa 57:12; 61:2
  91. Micah 3:9 : Ps 58:1-2; S Isa 1:23
  92. Micah 3:10 : S Jer 22:13
  93. Micah 3:10 : Isa 59:7; Mic 7:2; Na 3:1; Hab 2:12
  94. Micah 3:10 : Jer 22:17; S Eze 22:27
  95. Micah 3:11 : S Ex 23:8; S Lev 19:15; Mal 2:9
  96. Micah 3:11 : S Eze 13:19
  97. Micah 3:11 : Isa 1:23; S 56:11; Jer 6:13; S La 4:13; S Hos 4:8, 18
  98. Micah 3:11 : S Isa 10:20
  99. Micah 3:11 : Jer 7:4; S Eze 34:2
  100. Micah 3:12 : S 2Ki 25:9; S Isa 6:11
  101. Micah 3:12 : S Jer 52:13
  102. Micah 3:12 : S Lev 26:31; S Jer 17:3; S 22:6; S La 5:18; S Eze 5:14
  103. Micah 4:1 : 4:1-3pp — Isa 2:1-4
  104. Micah 4:1 : S Ps 48:1; Zec 8:3
  105. Micah 4:1 : S Eze 17:22
  106. Micah 4:1 : S Ps 22:27; 86:9; S Jer 3:17; S 31:12; S Da 2:35
  107. Micah 4:2 : S Jer 31:6; S Eze 20:40
  108. Micah 4:2 : Zec 2:11; 14:16
  109. Micah 4:2 : S Ps 119:171
  110. Micah 4:2 : Ps 25:8-9; S Isa 54:13
  111. Micah 4:2 : S Dt 18:18
  112. Micah 4:3 : S Isa 11:4
  113. Micah 4:3 : Joel 3:10; Zec 9:10
  114. Micah 4:3 : S Ps 46:9
  115. Micah 4:3 : Zec 8:20-22
  116. Micah 4:4 : S 1Ki 4:25
  117. Micah 4:4 : S Lev 26:6; S Eze 39:26
  118. Micah 4:4 : S Isa 1:20
  119. Micah 4:5 : 2Ki 17:29; Ac 14:16
  120. Micah 4:5 : Jos 24:14-15; Isa 26:8; Zec 10:12
  121. Micah 4:6 : S Jer 31:8
  122. Micah 4:6 : S Ps 106:47
  123. Micah 4:6 : S Eze 34:13, 16; S 37:21; Zep 3:19
  124. Micah 4:7 : S Joel 2:32; S Mic 2:12
  125. Micah 4:7 : S Ge 12:2
  126. Micah 4:7 : S Isa 2:2
  127. Micah 4:7 : S Da 2:44; S 7:14; S Lk 1:33; Rev 11:15
  128. Micah 4:8 : S Isa 1:26
  129. Micah 4:8 : Zec 9:9
  130. Micah 4:9 : Jer 8:19
  131. Micah 4:9 : S Ge 3:16; Jer 30:6; 48:41
  132. Micah 4:10 : S Dt 21:10; 2Ki 20:18; Isa 43:14
  133. Micah 4:10 : S Isa 48:20
  134. Micah 4:11 : S La 2:16; S Ob 1:12; Mic 7:8
  135. Micah 4:12 : S Ge 50:20; S Isa 55:8; Ro 11:33-34
  136. Micah 4:13 : S Isa 21:10
  137. Micah 4:13 : S Isa 45:1; S Da 2:44
  138. Micah 4:13 : S Isa 23:18
New International Version (NIV)

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Revelation 6

The Seals

6 I watched as the Lamb(A) opened the first of the seven seals.(B) Then I heard one of the four living creatures(C) say in a voice like thunder,(D) “Come!” 2 I looked, and there before me was a white horse!(E) Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown,(F) and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest.(G)

3 When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature(H) say, “Come!” 4 Then another horse came out, a fiery red one.(I) Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth(J) and to make people kill each other. To him was given a large sword.

5 When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature(K) say, “Come!” I looked, and there before me was a black horse!(L) Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. 6 Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures,(M) saying, “Two pounds[a] of wheat for a day’s wages,[b] and six pounds[c] of barley for a day’s wages,[d](N) and do not damage(O) the oil and the wine!”

7 When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature(P) say, “Come!” 8 I looked, and there before me was a pale horse!(Q) Its rider was named Death, and Hades(R) was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.(S)

9 When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under(T) the altar(U) the souls of those who had been slain(V) because of the word of God(W) and the testimony they had maintained. 10 They called out in a loud voice, “How long,(X) Sovereign Lord,(Y) holy and true,(Z) until you judge the inhabitants of the earth(AA) and avenge our blood?”(AB) 11 Then each of them was given a white robe,(AC) and they were told to wait a little longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters,[e] were killed just as they had been.(AD)

12 I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake.(AE) The sun turned black(AF) like sackcloth(AG) made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, 13 and the stars in the sky fell to earth,(AH) as figs drop from a fig tree(AI) when shaken by a strong wind. 14 The heavens receded like a scroll being rolled up,(AJ) and every mountain and island was removed from its place.(AK)

15 Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and everyone else, both slave and free,(AL) hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains.(AM) 16 They called to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us(AN) and hide us[f] from the face of him who sits on the throne(AO) and from the wrath of the Lamb! 17 For the great day(AP) of their[g] wrath has come, and who can withstand it?”(AQ)

Footnotes:

  1. Revelation 6:6 Or about 1 kilogram
  2. Revelation 6:6 Greek a denarius
  3. Revelation 6:6 Or about 3 kilograms
  4. Revelation 6:6 Greek a denarius
  5. Revelation 6:11 The Greek word for brothers and sisters (adelphoi) refers here to believers, both men and women, as part of God’s family; also in 12:10; 19:10.
  6. Revelation 6:16 See Hosea 10:8.
  7. Revelation 6:17 Some manuscripts his

Cross references:

  1. Revelation 6:1 : S Rev 5:6
  2. Revelation 6:1 : Rev 5:1
  3. Revelation 6:1 : S Rev 4:6, 7
  4. Revelation 6:1 : Rev 14:2; 19:6
  5. Revelation 6:2 : Zec 1:8; 6:3; Rev 19:11
  6. Revelation 6:2 : Zec 6:11; Rev 14:14; 19:12
  7. Revelation 6:2 : Ps 45:4
  8. Revelation 6:3 : Rev 4:7
  9. Revelation 6:4 : Zec 1:8; 6:2
  10. Revelation 6:4 : Mt 10:34
  11. Revelation 6:5 : Rev 4:7
  12. Revelation 6:5 : Zec 6:2
  13. Revelation 6:6 : S Rev 4:6, 7
  14. Revelation 6:6 : Eze 4:16
  15. Revelation 6:6 : Rev 7:1, 3; 9:4
  16. Revelation 6:7 : Rev 4:7
  17. Revelation 6:8 : Zec 6:3
  18. Revelation 6:8 : Hos 13:14; Rev 1:18; 20:13, 14
  19. Revelation 6:8 : Jer 15:2, 3; 24:10; Eze 5:12, 17
  20. Revelation 6:9 : Ex 29:12; Lev 4:7
  21. Revelation 6:9 : Rev 14:18; 16:7
  22. Revelation 6:9 : Rev 20:4
  23. Revelation 6:9 : Ro 1:2; S Heb 4:12
  24. Revelation 6:10 : Ps 119:84; Zec 1:12
  25. Revelation 6:10 : Lk 2:29; 2Pe 2:1
  26. Revelation 6:10 : S Rev 3:7
  27. Revelation 6:10 : S Rev 3:10
  28. Revelation 6:10 : Dt 32:43; 2Ki 9:7; Ps 79:10; Rev 16:6; 18:20; 19:2
  29. Revelation 6:11 : S Rev 3:4
  30. Revelation 6:11 : Heb 11:40
  31. Revelation 6:12 : Ps 97:4; Isa 29:6; Eze 38:19; Rev 8:5; 11:13; 16:18
  32. Revelation 6:12 : S Mt 24:29
  33. Revelation 6:12 : Isa 50:3
  34. Revelation 6:13 : S Mt 24:29; Rev 8:10; 9:1
  35. Revelation 6:13 : Isa 34:4
  36. Revelation 6:14 : S 2Pe 3:10; Rev 20:11; 21:1
  37. Revelation 6:14 : Ps 46:2; Isa 54:10; Jer 4:24; Eze 38:20; Na 1:5; Rev 16:20; 21:1
  38. Revelation 6:15 : Rev 19:18
  39. Revelation 6:15 : Isa 2:10, 19, 21
  40. Revelation 6:16 : Hos 10:8; Lk 23:30
  41. Revelation 6:16 : S Rev 5:1
  42. Revelation 6:17 : Joel 1:15; 2:1, 2, 11, 31; Zep 1:14, 15; Rev 16:14
  43. Revelation 6:17 : Ps 76:7; Na 1:6; Mal 3:2
New International Version (NIV)

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Psalm 134

Psalm 134

A song of ascents.

1 Praise the Lord, all you servants(A) of the Lord
who minister(B) by night(C) in the house of the Lord.
2 Lift up your hands(D) in the sanctuary(E)
and praise the Lord.(F)

3 May the Lord bless you from Zion,(G)
he who is the Maker of heaven(H) and earth.

Cross references:

  1. Psalm 134:1 : S Ps 113:1; 135:1-2; Rev 19:5
  2. Psalm 134:1 : S Nu 16:9; S 1Ch 15:2
  3. Psalm 134:1 : S 1Ch 23:30
  4. Psalm 134:2 : S Ps 28:2; 1Ti 2:8
  5. Psalm 134:2 : Ps 15:1
  6. Psalm 134:2 : Ps 33:2; 103:1
  7. Psalm 134:3 : S Lev 25:21; S Ps 20:2
  8. Psalm 134:3 : S Ps 124:8
New International Version (NIV)

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Proverbs 30:1-4

Sayings of Agur

30 The sayings(A) of Agur son of Jakeh—an inspired utterance.

This man’s utterance to Ithiel:

“I am weary, God,
but I can prevail.[a]
2 Surely I am only a brute, not a man;
I do not have human understanding.
3 I have not learned wisdom,
nor have I attained to the knowledge of the Holy One.(B)
4 Who has gone up(C) to heaven and come down?
Whose hands(D) have gathered up the wind?
Who has wrapped up the waters(E) in a cloak?(F)
Who has established all the ends of the earth?
What is his name,(G) and what is the name of his son?
Surely you know!

Footnotes:

  1. Proverbs 30:1 With a different word division of the Hebrew; Masoretic Text utterance to Ithiel, / to Ithiel and Ukal:

Cross references:

  1. Proverbs 30:1 : S Pr 22:17
  2. Proverbs 30:3 : S Pr 9:10
  3. Proverbs 30:4 : Dt 30:12; Ps 24:1-2; S Pr 8:22-31; Jn 3:13; Eph 4:7-10
  4. Proverbs 30:4 : Isa 40:12
  5. Proverbs 30:4 : Job 26:8
  6. Proverbs 30:4 : S Ge 1:2
  7. Proverbs 30:4 : Rev 19:12
New International Version (NIV)

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The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Thursday December 14, 2023 (NIV)

Jonah 1-4

Jonah Flees From the Lord

1 The word of the Lord came to Jonah(A) son of Amittai:(B) 2 “Go to the great city of Nineveh(C) and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.”

3 But Jonah ran(D) away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish(E). He went down to Joppa,(F) where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord.(G)

4 Then the Lord sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up.(H) 5 All the sailors were afraid and each cried out to his own god. And they threw the cargo into the sea to lighten the ship.(I)

But Jonah had gone below deck, where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep. 6 The captain went to him and said, “How can you sleep? Get up and call(J) on your god! Maybe he will take notice of us so that we will not perish.”(K)

7 Then the sailors said to each other, “Come, let us cast lots to find out who is responsible for this calamity.”(L) They cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah.(M) 8 So they asked him, “Tell us, who is responsible for making all this trouble for us? What kind of work do you do? Where do you come from? What is your country? From what people are you?”

9 He answered, “I am a Hebrew and I worship the Lord,(N) the God of heaven,(O) who made the sea(P) and the dry land.(Q)”

10 This terrified them and they asked, “What have you done?” (They knew he was running away from the Lord, because he had already told them so.)

11 The sea was getting rougher and rougher. So they asked him, “What should we do to you to make the sea calm down for us?”

12 “Pick me up and throw me into the sea,” he replied, “and it will become calm. I know that it is my fault that this great storm has come upon you.”(R)

13 Instead, the men did their best to row back to land. But they could not, for the sea grew even wilder than before.(S) 14 Then they cried out to the Lord, “Please, Lord, do not let us die for taking this man’s life. Do not hold us accountable for killing an innocent man,(T) for you, Lord, have done as you pleased.”(U) 15 Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm.(V) 16 At this the men greatly feared(W) the Lord, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows(X) to him.

Jonah’s Prayer

17 Now the Lord provided(Y) a huge fish to swallow Jonah,(Z) and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. 2 1 [a]From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the Lord his God. 2 He said:

“In my distress I called(AA) to the Lord,(AB)
and he answered me.
From deep in the realm of the dead(AC) I called for help,
and you listened to my cry.
3 You hurled me into the depths,(AD)
into the very heart of the seas,
and the currents swirled about me;
all your waves(AE) and breakers
swept over me.(AF)
4 I said, ‘I have been banished
from your sight;(AG)
yet I will look again
toward your holy temple.’(AH)
5 The engulfing waters threatened me,[b]
the deep surrounded me;
seaweed was wrapped around my head.(AI)
6 To the roots of the mountains(AJ) I sank down;
the earth beneath barred me in forever.
But you, Lord my God,
brought my life up from the pit.(AK)

7 “When my life was ebbing away,
I remembered(AL) you, Lord,
and my prayer(AM) rose to you,
to your holy temple.(AN)

8 “Those who cling to worthless idols(AO)
turn away from God’s love for them.
9 But I, with shouts of grateful praise,(AP)
will sacrifice(AQ) to you.
What I have vowed(AR) I will make good.
I will say, ‘Salvation(AS) comes from the Lord.’”

10 And the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.

Jonah Goes to Nineveh

3 Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah(AT) a second time: 2 “Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.”

3 Jonah obeyed the word of the Lord and went to Nineveh. Now Nineveh was a very large city; it took three days to go through it. 4 Jonah began by going a day’s journey into the city, proclaiming,(AU) “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.” 5 The Ninevites believed God. A fast was proclaimed, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth.(AV)

6 When Jonah’s warning reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust.(AW) 7 This is the proclamation he issued in Nineveh:

“By the decree of the king and his nobles:

Do not let people or animals, herds or flocks, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink.(AX) 8 But let people and animals be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call(AY) urgently on God. Let them give up(AZ) their evil ways(BA) and their violence.(BB) 9 Who knows?(BC) God may yet relent(BD) and with compassion turn(BE) from his fierce anger(BF) so that we will not perish.”

10 When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented(BG) and did not bring on them the destruction(BH) he had threatened.(BI)

Jonah’s Anger at the Lord’s Compassion

4 But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry.(BJ) 2 He prayed to the Lord, “Isn’t this what I said, Lord, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew(BK) that you are a gracious(BL) and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love,(BM) a God who relents(BN) from sending calamity.(BO) 3 Now, Lord, take away my life,(BP) for it is better for me to die(BQ) than to live.”(BR)

4 But the Lord replied, “Is it right for you to be angry?”(BS)

5 Jonah had gone out and sat down at a place east of the city. There he made himself a shelter, sat in its shade and waited to see what would happen to the city. 6 Then the Lord God provided(BT) a leafy plant[c] and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was very happy about the plant. 7 But at dawn the next day God provided a worm, which chewed the plant so that it withered.(BU) 8 When the sun rose, God provided a scorching east wind, and the sun blazed on Jonah’s head so that he grew faint. He wanted to die,(BV) and said, “It would be better for me to die than to live.”

9 But God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?”(BW)

“It is,” he said. “And I’m so angry I wish I were dead.”

10 But the Lord said, “You have been concerned about this plant, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. 11 And should I not have concern(BX) for the great city of Nineveh,(BY) in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left—and also many animals?”

Footnotes:

  1. Jonah 2:1 In Hebrew texts 2:1 is numbered 1:17, and 2:1-10 is numbered 2:2-11.
  2. Jonah 2:5 Or waters were at my throat
  3. Jonah 4:6 The precise identification of this plant is uncertain; also in verses 7, 9 and 10.

Cross references:

  1. Jonah 1:1 : Mt 12:39-41; 16:4; Lk 11:29-32
  2. Jonah 1:1 : 2Ki 14:25
  3. Jonah 1:2 : S Ge 10:11; S Na 1:1
  4. Jonah 1:3 : Ps 139:7
  5. Jonah 1:3 : S Ge 10:4
  6. Jonah 1:3 : S Jos 19:46; Ac 9:36, 43
  7. Jonah 1:3 : Ex 4:13; S Jer 20:9; S Am 3:8
  8. Jonah 1:4 : Ps 107:23-26
  9. Jonah 1:5 : Ac 27:18-19
  10. Jonah 1:6 : Jnh 3:8
  11. Jonah 1:6 : S Ps 107:28
  12. Jonah 1:7 : Nu 32:23; Jos 7:10-18; S 1Sa 14:42
  13. Jonah 1:7 : S Pr 16:33
  14. Jonah 1:9 : S Ps 96:9
  15. Jonah 1:9 : S Da 2:18; Ac 17:24
  16. Jonah 1:9 : S Ne 9:6
  17. Jonah 1:9 : S Ge 1:9
  18. Jonah 1:12 : 2Sa 24:17; 1Ch 21:17
  19. Jonah 1:13 : S Pr 21:30
  20. Jonah 1:14 : Dt 21:8
  21. Jonah 1:14 : S Da 4:35
  22. Jonah 1:15 : S Ps 107:29; Lk 8:24
  23. Jonah 1:16 : Mk 4:41
  24. Jonah 1:16 : S Nu 30:2; Ps 66:13-14
  25. Jonah 1:17 : Jnh 4:6, 7
  26. Jonah 1:17 : Mt 12:40; 16:4; Lk 11:30
  27. Jonah 2:2 : La 3:55
  28. Jonah 2:2 : Ps 18:6; 120:1
  29. Jonah 2:2 : Ps 86:13
  30. Jonah 2:3 : S Ps 88:6
  31. Jonah 2:3 : S 2Sa 22:5
  32. Jonah 2:3 : S Ps 42:7
  33. Jonah 2:4 : Ps 31:22; Jer 7:15
  34. Jonah 2:4 : S 1Ki 8:48
  35. Jonah 2:5 : Ps 69:1-2
  36. Jonah 2:6 : Job 28:9
  37. Jonah 2:6 : S Job 17:16; S 33:18; S Ps 30:3
  38. Jonah 2:7 : Ps 77:11-12
  39. Jonah 2:7 : 2Ch 30:27
  40. Jonah 2:7 : S Ps 11:4; 18:6
  41. Jonah 2:8 : S Dt 32:21; S 1Sa 12:21
  42. Jonah 2:9 : S Ps 42:4
  43. Jonah 2:9 : Ps 50:14, 23; Heb 13:15
  44. Jonah 2:9 : S Nu 30:2; Ps 116:14; S Ecc 5:4-5
  45. Jonah 2:9 : S Ex 15:2; S Ps 3:8
  46. Jonah 3:1 : Jnh 1:1
  47. Jonah 3:4 : S Jer 18:7-10
  48. Jonah 3:5 : Da 9:3; Mt 11:21; 12:41; Lk 11:32
  49. Jonah 3:6 : Est 4:1-3; S Job 2:8, 13; S Eze 27:30-31
  50. Jonah 3:7 : S 2Ch 20:3; S Ezr 10:6
  51. Jonah 3:8 : Ps 130:1; Jnh 1:6
  52. Jonah 3:8 : Jer 25:5
  53. Jonah 3:8 : Jer 7:3
  54. Jonah 3:8 : S Job 16:17
  55. Jonah 3:9 : 2Sa 12:22
  56. Jonah 3:9 : S Jer 18:8
  57. Jonah 3:9 : S Joel 2:14
  58. Jonah 3:9 : S Ps 85:3
  59. Jonah 3:10 : S Am 7:6
  60. Jonah 3:10 : S Jer 18:8
  61. Jonah 3:10 : S Ex 32:14
  62. Jonah 4:1 : ver 4; Mt 20:11; Lk 15:28
  63. Jonah 4:2 : Jer 20:7-8
  64. Jonah 4:2 : S Dt 4:31; Ps 103:8
  65. Jonah 4:2 : S Ex 22:27; Ps 86:5, 15
  66. Jonah 4:2 : S Nu 14:18
  67. Jonah 4:2 : S Joel 2:13
  68. Jonah 4:3 : S Nu 11:15
  69. Jonah 4:3 : S Job 7:15
  70. Jonah 4:3 : Jer 8:3
  71. Jonah 4:4 : Ge 4:6; Mt 20:11-15
  72. Jonah 4:6 : S Jnh 1:17
  73. Jonah 4:7 : Joel 1:12
  74. Jonah 4:8 : S 1Ki 19:4
  75. Jonah 4:9 : ver 4
  76. Jonah 4:11 : Jnh 3:10
  77. Jonah 4:11 : Jnh 1:2; 3:2
New International Version (NIV)

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Revelation 5

The Scroll and the Lamb

5 Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne(A) a scroll with writing on both sides(B) and sealed(C) with seven seals. 2 And I saw a mighty angel(D) proclaiming in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?” 3 But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. 4 I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. 5 Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion(E) of the tribe of Judah,(F) the Root of David,(G) has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.”

6 Then I saw a Lamb,(H) looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures(I) and the elders.(J) The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes,(K) which are the seven spirits[a](L) of God sent out into all the earth. 7 He went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne.(M) 8 And when he had taken it, the four living creatures(N) and the twenty-four elders(O) fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp(P) and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers(Q) of God’s people. 9 And they sang a new song, saying:(R)

“You are worthy(S) to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
because you were slain,
and with your blood(T) you purchased(U) for God
persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.(V)
10 You have made them to be a kingdom and priests(W) to serve our God,
and they will reign[b] on the earth.”(X)

11 Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand.(Y) They encircled the throne and the living creatures(Z) and the elders.(AA) 12 In a loud voice they were saying:

“Worthy is the Lamb,(AB) who was slain,(AC)
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength
and honor and glory and praise!”(AD)

13 Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth(AE) and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying:

“To him who sits on the throne(AF) and to the Lamb(AG)
be praise and honor and glory and power,
for ever and ever!”(AH)

14 The four living creatures(AI) said, “Amen,”(AJ) and the elders(AK) fell down and worshiped.(AL)

Footnotes:

  1. Revelation 5:6 That is, the sevenfold Spirit
  2. Revelation 5:10 Some manuscripts they reign

Cross references:

  1. Revelation 5:1 : ver 7, 13; Rev 4:2, 9; 6:16
  2. Revelation 5:1 : Eze 2:9, 10
  3. Revelation 5:1 : Isa 29:11; Da 12:4
  4. Revelation 5:2 : Rev 10:1
  5. Revelation 5:5 : Ge 49:9
  6. Revelation 5:5 : S Heb 7:14
  7. Revelation 5:5 : Isa 11:1, 10; Ro 15:12; Rev 22:16
  8. Revelation 5:6 : ver 8, 9, 12, 13; S Jn 1:29
  9. Revelation 5:6 : S Rev 4:6
  10. Revelation 5:6 : S Rev 4:4
  11. Revelation 5:6 : Zec 4:10
  12. Revelation 5:6 : S Rev 1:4
  13. Revelation 5:7 : S ver 1
  14. Revelation 5:8 : S Rev 4:6
  15. Revelation 5:8 : S Rev 4:4
  16. Revelation 5:8 : Rev 14:2; 15:2
  17. Revelation 5:8 : Ps 141:2; Rev 8:3, 4
  18. Revelation 5:9 : Ps 40:3; 98:1; 149:1; Isa 42:10; Rev 14:3, 4
  19. Revelation 5:9 : Rev 4:11
  20. Revelation 5:9 : Heb 9:12
  21. Revelation 5:9 : S 1Co 6:20
  22. Revelation 5:9 : S Rev 13:7
  23. Revelation 5:10 : S 1Pe 2:5
  24. Revelation 5:10 : Rev 3:21; 20:4
  25. Revelation 5:11 : Da 7:10; Heb 12:22; Jude 14
  26. Revelation 5:11 : S Rev 4:6
  27. Revelation 5:11 : S Rev 4:4
  28. Revelation 5:12 : ver 13
  29. Revelation 5:12 : ver 9
  30. Revelation 5:12 : Rev 1:6; 4:11
  31. Revelation 5:13 : ver 3; Php 2:10
  32. Revelation 5:13 : S ver 1, 7
  33. Revelation 5:13 : ver 6; Rev 6:16; 7:10
  34. Revelation 5:13 : 1Ch 29:11; Mal 1:6; 2:2; S Ro 11:36
  35. Revelation 5:14 : S Rev 4:6
  36. Revelation 5:14 : Rev 4:9
  37. Revelation 5:14 : S Rev 4:4
  38. Revelation 5:14 : Rev 4:10
New International Version (NIV)

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Psalm 133

Psalm 133

A song of ascents. Of David.

1 How good and pleasant it is
when God’s people live together(A) in unity!(B)

2 It is like precious oil poured on the head,(C)
running down on the beard,
running down on Aaron’s beard,
down on the collar of his robe.
3 It is as if the dew(D) of Hermon(E)
were falling on Mount Zion.(F)
For there the Lord bestows his blessing,(G)
even life forevermore.(H)

Cross references:

  1. Psalm 133:1 : S Ge 13:8; S Ro 12:10
  2. Psalm 133:1 : Jn 17:11
  3. Psalm 133:2 : S Ex 29:7
  4. Psalm 133:3 : Job 29:19; Pr 19:12; Isa 18:4; 26:19; 45:8; Hos 14:5; Mic 5:7
  5. Psalm 133:3 : S Dt 3:8; S 4:48
  6. Psalm 133:3 : S Ex 15:17; S Ps 2:6; 74:2
  7. Psalm 133:3 : S Lev 25:21
  8. Psalm 133:3 : S Ps 21:4
New International Version (NIV)

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Proverbs 29:26-27

26 Many seek an audience with a ruler,(A)
but it is from the Lord that one gets justice.(B)

27 The righteous detest the dishonest;
the wicked detest the upright.(C)

Cross references:

  1. Proverbs 29:26 : Pr 19:6
  2. Proverbs 29:26 : S Pr 16:33
  3. Proverbs 29:27 : S ver 10
New International Version (NIV)

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The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Wednesday December 13, 2023 (NIV)

Obadiah

Obadiah’s Vision(A)(B)

1 The vision(C) of Obadiah.

This is what the Sovereign Lord says about Edom(D)—

We have heard a message from the Lord:
An envoy(E) was sent to the nations to say,
“Rise, let us go against her for battle”(F)—

2 “See, I will make you small(G) among the nations;
you will be utterly despised.
3 The pride(H) of your heart has deceived you,
you who live in the clefts of the rocks[a](I)
and make your home on the heights,
you who say to yourself,
‘Who can bring me down to the ground?’(J)
4 Though you soar like the eagle
and make your nest(K) among the stars,
from there I will bring you down,”(L)
declares the Lord.(M)
5 “If thieves came to you,
if robbers in the night—
oh, what a disaster awaits you!—
would they not steal only as much as they wanted?
If grape pickers came to you,
would they not leave a few grapes?(N)
6 But how Esau will be ransacked,
his hidden treasures pillaged!
7 All your allies(O) will force you to the border;
your friends will deceive and overpower you;
those who eat your bread(P) will set a trap for you,[b]
but you will not detect it.

8 “In that day,” declares the Lord,
“will I not destroy(Q) the wise men of Edom,
those of understanding in the mountains of Esau?
9 Your warriors, Teman,(R) will be terrified,
and everyone in Esau’s mountains
will be cut down in the slaughter.
10 Because of the violence(S) against your brother Jacob,(T)
you will be covered with shame;
you will be destroyed forever.(U)
11 On the day you stood aloof
while strangers carried off his wealth
and foreigners entered his gates
and cast lots(V) for Jerusalem,
you were like one of them.(W)
12 You should not gloat(X) over your brother
in the day of his misfortune,(Y)
nor rejoice(Z) over the people of Judah
in the day of their destruction,(AA)
nor boast(AB) so much
in the day of their trouble.(AC)
13 You should not march through the gates of my people
in the day of their disaster,
nor gloat over them in their calamity(AD)
in the day of their disaster,
nor seize their wealth
in the day of their disaster.
14 You should not wait at the crossroads
to cut down their fugitives,(AE)
nor hand over their survivors
in the day of their trouble.

15 “The day of the Lord is near(AF)
for all nations.
As you have done, it will be done to you;
your deeds(AG) will return upon your own head.
16 Just as you drank(AH) on my holy hill,(AI)
so all the nations will drink(AJ) continually;
they will drink and drink
and be as if they had never been.(AK)
17 But on Mount Zion will be deliverance;(AL)
it will be holy,(AM)
and Jacob will possess his inheritance.(AN)
18 Jacob will be a fire
and Joseph a flame;
Esau will be stubble,
and they will set him on fire(AO) and destroy(AP) him.
There will be no survivors(AQ)
from Esau.”
The Lord has spoken.

19 People from the Negev will occupy
the mountains of Esau,
and people from the foothills will possess
the land of the Philistines.(AR)
They will occupy the fields of Ephraim and Samaria,(AS)
and Benjamin(AT) will possess Gilead.
20 This company of Israelite exiles who are in Canaan
will possess the land as far as Zarephath;(AU)
the exiles from Jerusalem who are in Sepharad
will possess the towns of the Negev.(AV)
21 Deliverers(AW) will go up on[c] Mount Zion
to govern the mountains of Esau.
And the kingdom will be the Lord’s.(AX)

Footnotes:

  1. Obadiah 1:3 Or of Sela
  2. Obadiah 1:7 The meaning of the Hebrew for this clause is uncertain.
  3. Obadiah 1:21 Or from

Cross references:

  1. Obadiah 1:1 : 1-4pp — Jer 49:14-16
  2. Obadiah 1:1 : 5-6pp — Jer 49:9-10
  3. Obadiah 1:1 : S Isa 1:1
  4. Obadiah 1:1 : S Ge 25:14; S Isa 11:14; S 34:11; 63:1-6; Jer 49:7-22; S Eze 25:12-14; S 32:29; S Am 1:11-12
  5. Obadiah 1:1 : Isa 18:2
  6. Obadiah 1:1 : Jer 6:4-5
  7. Obadiah 1:2 : Nu 24:18
  8. Obadiah 1:3 : S Isa 16:6
  9. Obadiah 1:3 : fn Isa 16:1
  10. Obadiah 1:3 : S 2Ch 25:11-12
  11. Obadiah 1:4 : S Isa 10:14
  12. Obadiah 1:4 : S Isa 14:13
  13. Obadiah 1:4 : S Job 20:6
  14. Obadiah 1:5 : S Dt 4:27; 24:21; S Isa 24:13
  15. Obadiah 1:7 : Jer 30:14
  16. Obadiah 1:7 : S Ps 41:9
  17. Obadiah 1:8 : Job 5:12; Isa 29:14
  18. Obadiah 1:9 : S Ge 36:11, 34
  19. Obadiah 1:10 : S Joel 3:19
  20. Obadiah 1:10 : Ps 137:7; Am 1:11-12
  21. Obadiah 1:10 : S Ps 137:7; S Eze 25:12-14; 35:9
  22. Obadiah 1:11 : S Job 6:27; S Eze 24:6
  23. Obadiah 1:11 : S Am 1:6
  24. Obadiah 1:12 : Pr 24:17
  25. Obadiah 1:12 : S Job 31:29
  26. Obadiah 1:12 : S Eze 35:15
  27. Obadiah 1:12 : S Pr 17:5
  28. Obadiah 1:12 : Ps 137:7
  29. Obadiah 1:12 : S Eze 25:6; Mic 4:11; 7:8
  30. Obadiah 1:13 : S Eze 35:5
  31. Obadiah 1:14 : S 1Ki 18:4
  32. Obadiah 1:15 : S Jer 46:10; S Eze 30:3; S Joel 2:31; S Am 5:18
  33. Obadiah 1:15 : S Jer 50:29; Hab 2:8
  34. Obadiah 1:16 : Isa 51:17
  35. Obadiah 1:16 : S Ex 15:17
  36. Obadiah 1:16 : Jer 25:15; 49:12; S La 4:21-22
  37. Obadiah 1:16 : S La 4:21; S Eze 25:12-14
  38. Obadiah 1:17 : S Ps 69:35; S Isa 14:1-2; Joel 2:32; S Am 9:11-15
  39. Obadiah 1:17 : S Ps 74:2; S Isa 4:3
  40. Obadiah 1:17 : Zec 8:12
  41. Obadiah 1:18 : S Isa 1:31
  42. Obadiah 1:18 : Zec 12:6
  43. Obadiah 1:18 : S Jer 49:10
  44. Obadiah 1:19 : Isa 11:14
  45. Obadiah 1:19 : S Jer 31:5
  46. Obadiah 1:19 : S Nu 1:36
  47. Obadiah 1:20 : 1Ki 17:9-10; Lk 4:26
  48. Obadiah 1:20 : S Jer 33:13
  49. Obadiah 1:21 : S Dt 28:29; S Jdg 3:9
  50. Obadiah 1:21 : S Ps 22:28; 47:9; 66:4; S Da 2:44; Zec 14:9, 16; Mal 1:14; Rev 11:15
New International Version (NIV)

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Revelation 4

The Throne in Heaven

4 After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open(A) in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet(B) said, “Come up here,(C) and I will show you what must take place after this.”(D) 2 At once I was in the Spirit,(E) and there before me was a throne in heaven(F) with someone sitting on it. 3 And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper(G) and ruby.(H) A rainbow(I) that shone like an emerald(J) encircled the throne. 4 Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders.(K) They were dressed in white(L) and had crowns of gold on their heads. 5 From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder.(M) In front of the throne, seven lamps(N) were blazing. These are the seven spirits[a](O) of God. 6 Also in front of the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass,(P) clear as crystal.

In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures,(Q) and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back.(R) 7 The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle.(S) 8 Each of the four living creatures(T) had six wings(U) and was covered with eyes all around,(V) even under its wings. Day and night(W) they never stop saying:

“‘Holy, holy, holy

is the Lord God Almighty,’[b](X)

who was, and is, and is to come.”(Y)

9 Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne(Z) and who lives for ever and ever,(AA) 10 the twenty-four elders(AB) fall down before him(AC) who sits on the throne(AD) and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say:

11 “You are worthy, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,(AE)
for you created all things,
and by your will they were created
and have their being.”(AF)

Footnotes:

  1. Revelation 4:5 That is, the sevenfold Spirit
  2. Revelation 4:8 Isaiah 6:3

Cross references:

  1. Revelation 4:1 : S Mt 3:16
  2. Revelation 4:1 : Rev 1:10
  3. Revelation 4:1 : Rev 11:12
  4. Revelation 4:1 : Rev 1:19; 22:6
  5. Revelation 4:2 : S Rev 1:10
  6. Revelation 4:2 : ver 9, 10; 1Ki 22:19; Isa 6:1; Eze 1:26-28; Da 7:9; Rev 20:11
  7. Revelation 4:3 : Rev 21:11
  8. Revelation 4:3 : Rev 21:20
  9. Revelation 4:3 : Eze 1:28; Rev 10:1
  10. Revelation 4:3 : Rev 21:19
  11. Revelation 4:4 : ver 10; Rev 5:6, 8, 14; 11:16; 19:4
  12. Revelation 4:4 : S Rev 3:4, 5
  13. Revelation 4:5 : Ex 19:16; Rev 8:5; 11:19; 16:18
  14. Revelation 4:5 : Zec 4:2
  15. Revelation 4:5 : S Rev 1:4
  16. Revelation 4:6 : Rev 15:2
  17. Revelation 4:6 : ver 8, 9; Eze 1:5; Rev 5:6; 6:1; 7:11; 14:3; 15:7; 19:4
  18. Revelation 4:6 : Eze 1:18; 10:12
  19. Revelation 4:7 : Eze 1:10; 10:14
  20. Revelation 4:8 : S ver 6
  21. Revelation 4:8 : Isa 6:2
  22. Revelation 4:8 : Eze 1:18
  23. Revelation 4:8 : Rev 14:11
  24. Revelation 4:8 : Isa 6:3; S Rev 1:8
  25. Revelation 4:8 : S Rev 1:4
  26. Revelation 4:9 : ver 2; Ps 47:8; S Rev 5:1
  27. Revelation 4:9 : S Rev 1:18
  28. Revelation 4:10 : S ver 4
  29. Revelation 4:10 : Dt 33:3; Rev 5:8, 14; 7:11; 11:16
  30. Revelation 4:10 : S ver 2
  31. Revelation 4:11 : Rev 1:6; 5:12
  32. Revelation 4:11 : Ac 14:15; Rev 10:6
New International Version (NIV)

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Psalm 132

Psalm 132(A)

A song of ascents.

1 Lord, remember David
and all his self-denial.(B)

2 He swore an oath to the Lord,
he made a vow to the Mighty One of Jacob:(C)
3 “I will not enter my house(D)
or go to my bed,
4 I will allow no sleep to my eyes
or slumber to my eyelids,
5 till I find a place(E) for the Lord,
a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob.”

6 We heard it in Ephrathah,(F)
we came upon it in the fields of Jaar:[a](G)
7 “Let us go to his dwelling place,(H)
let us worship at his footstool,(I) saying,
8 ‘Arise, Lord,(J) and come to your resting place,
you and the ark of your might.
9 May your priests be clothed with your righteousness;(K)
may your faithful people(L) sing for joy.’”

10 For the sake of your servant David,
do not reject your anointed one.

11 The Lord swore an oath to David,(M)
a sure oath he will not revoke:
“One of your own descendants(N)
I will place on your throne.
12 If your sons keep my covenant(O)
and the statutes I teach them,
then their sons will sit
on your throne(P) for ever and ever.”

13 For the Lord has chosen Zion,(Q)
he has desired it for his dwelling,(R) saying,
14 “This is my resting place for ever and ever;(S)
here I will sit enthroned,(T) for I have desired it.
15 I will bless her with abundant provisions;
her poor I will satisfy with food.(U)
16 I will clothe her priests(V) with salvation,
and her faithful people will ever sing for joy.(W)

17 “Here I will make a horn[b] grow(X) for David
and set up a lamp(Y) for my anointed one.(Z)
18 I will clothe his enemies with shame,(AA)
but his head will be adorned with a radiant crown.”(AB)

Footnotes:

  1. Psalm 132:6 Or heard of it in Ephrathah, / we found it in the fields of Jearim. (See 1 Chron. 13:5,6) (And no quotation marks around verses 7-9)
  2. Psalm 132:17 Horn here symbolizes strong one, that is, king.

Cross references:

  1. Psalm 132:1 : 132:8-10pp — 2Ch 6:41-42
  2. Psalm 132:1 : 1Sa 18:11; S 2Sa 15:14
  3. Psalm 132:2 : S Ge 49:24; Isa 49:26; 60:16
  4. Psalm 132:3 : S 2Sa 7:2, 27
  5. Psalm 132:5 : S 1Ki 8:17; Ac 7:46
  6. Psalm 132:6 : S 1Sa 17:12
  7. Psalm 132:6 : S Jos 9:17; S 1Sa 7:2
  8. Psalm 132:7 : S 2Sa 15:25; Ps 5:7; 122:1
  9. Psalm 132:7 : S 1Ch 28:2
  10. Psalm 132:8 : S Nu 10:35
  11. Psalm 132:9 : S Job 27:6; Isa 61:3, 10; Zec 3:4; Mal 3:3; Eph 6:14
  12. Psalm 132:9 : Ps 16:3; 30:4; 149:5
  13. Psalm 132:11 : S Ps 89:3-4, 35
  14. Psalm 132:11 : S 1Ch 17:11-14; S Mt 1:1; Lk 3:31
  15. Psalm 132:12 : 2Ch 6:16; S Ps 25:10
  16. Psalm 132:12 : Lk 1:32; Ac 2:30
  17. Psalm 132:13 : S Ex 15:17; Ps 48:1-2; S 68:16
  18. Psalm 132:13 : S 1Ki 8:13
  19. Psalm 132:14 : ver 8; Ps 68:16
  20. Psalm 132:14 : S 2Sa 6:2; Ps 80:1
  21. Psalm 132:15 : Ps 107:9; 147:14
  22. Psalm 132:16 : S 2Ch 6:41
  23. Psalm 132:16 : S Job 8:21; Ps 149:5
  24. Psalm 132:17 : S 1Sa 2:10; Ps 92:10; Eze 29:21; S Lk 1:69
  25. Psalm 132:17 : 1Ki 11:36; 2Ki 8:19; 2Ch 21:7; Ps 18:28
  26. Psalm 132:17 : S Ps 84:9
  27. Psalm 132:18 : S Job 8:22
  28. Psalm 132:18 : S 2Sa 12:30
New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Proverbs 29:24-25

24 The accomplices of thieves are their own enemies;
they are put under oath and dare not testify.(A)

25 Fear(B) of man will prove to be a snare,
but whoever trusts in the Lord(C) is kept safe.(D)

Cross references:

  1. Proverbs 29:24 : S Lev 5:1
  2. Proverbs 29:25 : S 1Sa 15:24
  3. Proverbs 29:25 : Pr 28:25
  4. Proverbs 29:25 : S Pr 16:20
New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

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12/12/2023 DAB Transcript

Amos 7:1-9:15, Revelations 3:7-22, Psalm 131:1-3, Proverbs 29:23

Today is the 12th day of December, welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I’m Brian. It’s great to be here with you today as we gather again around our home base, the Global Campfire. Take our place, settle in, no matter whether we’re driving, laying in bed, sitting at the breakfast table, sitting at the dinner table, falling asleep at night, wherever we may be, we are here, and we are here to take the next step forward in the Scriptures. And we have been working our way through the minor prophets. We are in the book of Amos at this point. And we will finish up the book of Amos today, by reading Amos chapters 7, 8 and 9.

Commentary:

Okay so, as we concluded the minor prophet Amos today, we saw God giving prophetic visions of His plans to send locust upon the earth and destroy everything and then fire upon the land, consuming everything and even consuming the land. And we watched Amos, who’s not a trained prophet, whose just hearing the word of the Lord, fall before the Lord and beg for forgiveness. We’re so small, we can’t survive this. Please forgive us. And we see the God does, and relents, and then third vision comes of a plum line. And God is saying essentially, I’m going to see who’s straight and who’s crooked, what’s straight and what’s crooked. I’m not going to ignore all this anymore. So, we should take that to heart, as we examine our own lives and apply Amos to our own stories as we look around us.

And then as we move the Revelation and continue that journey. We’ve concluded today the seven opening letters, the way that Revelation begins. Seven letters from Jesus to seven different churches: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea. And all these churches are in the province of Asia, and they gave, well, we read them. They gave encouragement, but they also gave warning, like I have this against you. And all of these have a message of endurance and we’re going to see endurance all the way through the book of Revelation.

And then we get into Psalm and that’s a beautiful Psalm today. Such a beautiful, contented posture with the Lord. And David is the is the author. He’s a king as he’s writing this, so he’s full of power. He has enormous power and resources and so, pride and arrogance would probably be something that we see in a position of power like that. But David writes that his contentment is found in humility, and he says, eternal one, my heart is not occupied with proud thoughts. My eyes do not look down on others. I don’t even begin to get involved in matters too big, matters of faith, state, business or the many things that defy my ability to understand them. Of one thing I am certain, my soul has become calm, quiet and contented in You, like a weaned child resting upon his mother, I am quiet. My soul is like this weaned child. May we each hold onto that picture and hold onto that verse. Hold onto that posture and move into and through this day and evening with a contented posture in the presence of the Lord. Knowing we don’t need anything else. And even as David offers this inner contentment and this posture of humility before the Lord, Proverbs, Proverbs kind of strikes us between the eyes. A person’s pride brings him down, but one of humble spirit has a firm hold on honor and respect. So, let’s take on board into our spiritual systems what’s being given to us as nourishment today, from the Scriptures. Arrogance isn’t going to get anywhere. Pride isn’t gonna bring humble contentment. Those things, arrogance and pride are gonna lead us on the path of humiliation. We will be humbled one way or the other. As we remember from Peter’s letters, we should be humbling ourselves under God’s mighty hand. If we want to be honorable, if we want to live the life that’s described today, then we have to walk the path that leads there.

Prayer:

So, Holy Spirit, we invite You into that because it deals with our thoughts, our words and our deeds, it deals with the way that we conduct ourselves and how often we are in complete control and speeding into destruction. Where we should be submitting and consulting with You on the narrow path that leads to life. Show us how to do that, Lord. We wander aimlessly so much. We get lost like sheep gone astray. And You keep coming. Show us how to walk this path. We love You and we humble ourselves before You and pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Announcements:

dailyaudiobible.com is home base, that’s the website. That’s where you find out what’s going on around here, and it’s Christmas time around here. So, we have some Christmas things in the Daily Audio Bible Shop that are special for this year. We created vinyl packages, vinyl albums, collectors’ editions of the music from the Daily Audio Bible and are offering those for Christmas this year, and we’ll send along the Christmas ornament for anyone who gets any number of these. And all of the resources from Christmas this year are being invested into what’s coming next for us, a brand-new home in the new year, a brand-new app, and a brand-new platform from which to build into the future without so many obstacles that we’ve faced as we’ve learned along the way. So, thank you for checking that out. Thank you for your partnership in that. You can find these at dailyaudiobible.com or in the Daily Audio Bible app, just go to the Shop and you’ll find a Christmas Section there, and you’ll find these there. Thank you very, very much.

And if you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible, as we wind down another one of our years together. Thank you, humbly, thank you, with humble gratitude. We wouldn’t be here if we didn’t do this together and so thank you. There is a link on the homepage at dailyaudiobible.com. If you’re using the app, you can press the Give button in the upper right-hand corner or the mailing address is P.O. Box 1996 Springhill, Tennessee 37174.

And as always, if you have a prayer request or encouragement, you can hit the Hotline button in the app, that’s little red button at the top, or you can dial 877-942-4253.

And that’s it for today, I’m Brian, I love you and I’ll be waiting for you here tomorrow.

Prayer and Encouragements:

Hello wonderful DAB family, this is BubbaD from Tennessee. I heard today, December 5th, that Blind Tony, you had a fire in your house. So sorry to hear, brother. You’ve been such an encouragement and the poet of the family, the bard singer, the true worshiper, the true spirit. That’s my name for you. So sorry to hear that happened. Glad you and your sister put it out. Family lets pray. Let’s lift him up, Blind Tony, throughout these days as they’re dealing with this. Heavenly Father, you see what’s happening in the world and our family here at DAB and the many needs we have. You are enough, Father. You are enough for every need, every person. We lift up our brother, Blind Tony. Asking God, that You would comfort him in this season. Give him the strength. Restore him. Thank You Lord that he has a place where he can go temporarily. I pray that You’ll bless whoever took him in or however the arrangements were made. Lord, be with Blind Tony and help us to be reminded to pray. And bless him. In Jesus name. Amen. Bless you brother may God protect and keep you and give you strength to persevere in this difficult time. Love you.

Hello, I am calling on behalf of one of your long-time listeners and member of your community. I’m calling on behalf of Elaine from Harthorne, California. She has been in the hospital for, honestly, I’m not sure how long. But she was there on Thanksgiving, and I know several days before hand. But I know that she had hoped to be able to go home this past Saturday but now they’ve transferred her to another hospital and they’re running more tests. I think she’s scared. I think she is concerned and is really wanting to be able to go home. And she asked that I would call and ask others to please pray for her. This is for Elaine in Harthorne, California. Thank you so much and God bless. Bye.

Greetings DAB family. Hey, this call goes out to two of our staple men in the DAB community. Delta Alpha Foxtrot lost his father and the whole family is in mourning, grieving. Sir, we appreciate you. You’ve always been transparent over the years with your journey and your life. And it has been so encouraging to so many people here. We stand behind your family, we pray for you in this time of suffering. You are loved. Also, this call goes out to Blind Tony. As many of us heard, his house was on fire. It’s not livable right now: no electricity, no water, big hole in the floor. Sir, for you too, this community loves you and appreciates you. We’re going to be looking for ways to monetarily reach out. And I’m sure that will show up soon. But you are such a blessing as you have been transparent also with your life. It encourages us all with you men who tell the truth, take us on your journey. It encourages us to be real, to be stronger, to love others more, to love God more. We just thank you guys, we’re praying for you and we are with you.

I’m listening to the December 5th Daily Audio Bible and heard two of our DAB family call in with very sad news. Delta Alpha Foxtrot from the border. I’m sorry that your father passed. As you said, you saw him with your family be raised to Jesus, to go to heaven. But I bring you comfort, your whole family comfort on your sad loss. This is Jersey Jane for Jesus. And I stand in his faith that He will put His arms around you and your family. And Blind Tony called in. Oh, Blind Tony, a fire in your house. Thank God everyone is safe, praise the Lord. I want to say a little poem for you, as you give to us. May the fire rage, but it’s not to worry. God is there, do not be in a hurry. For you have given to your family, all the love that you can carry. We bless you in His mighty name, Jesus Christ put out the flame. Amen.

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The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Tuesday December 12, 2023 (NIV)

Amos 7-9

Locusts, Fire and a Plumb Line

7 This is what the Sovereign Lord showed me:(A) He was preparing swarms of locusts(B) after the king’s share had been harvested and just as the late crops were coming up. 2 When they had stripped the land clean,(C) I cried out, “Sovereign Lord, forgive! How can Jacob survive?(D) He is so small!(E)”

3 So the Lord relented.(F)

“This will not happen,” the Lord said.(G)

4 This is what the Sovereign Lord showed me: The Sovereign Lord was calling for judgment by fire;(H) it dried up the great deep and devoured(I) the land. 5 Then I cried out, “Sovereign Lord, I beg you, stop! How can Jacob survive? He is so small!(J)”

6 So the Lord relented.(K)

“This will not happen either,” the Sovereign Lord said.(L)

7 This is what he showed me: The Lord was standing by a wall that had been built true to plumb,[a] with a plumb line[b] in his hand. 8 And the Lord asked me, “What do you see,(M) Amos?(N)”

“A plumb line,(O)” I replied.

Then the Lord said, “Look, I am setting a plumb line among my people Israel; I will spare them no longer.(P)

9 “The high places(Q) of Isaac will be destroyed
and the sanctuaries(R) of Israel will be ruined;
with my sword I will rise against the house of Jeroboam.(S)”

Amos and Amaziah

10 Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel(T) sent a message to Jeroboam(U) king of Israel: “Amos is raising a conspiracy(V) against you in the very heart of Israel. The land cannot bear all his words.(W) 11 For this is what Amos is saying:

“‘Jeroboam will die by the sword,
and Israel will surely go into exile,(X)
away from their native land.’”(Y)

12 Then Amaziah said to Amos, “Get out, you seer!(Z) Go back to the land of Judah. Earn your bread there and do your prophesying there.(AA) 13 Don’t prophesy anymore at Bethel,(AB) because this is the king’s sanctuary and the temple(AC) of the kingdom.(AD)”

14 Amos answered Amaziah, “I was neither a prophet(AE) nor the son of a prophet, but I was a shepherd, and I also took care of sycamore-fig trees.(AF) 15 But the Lord took me from tending the flock(AG) and said to me, ‘Go,(AH) prophesy(AI) to my people Israel.’(AJ) 16 Now then, hear(AK) the word of the Lord. You say,

“‘Do not prophesy against(AL) Israel,
and stop preaching against the descendants of Isaac.’

17 “Therefore this is what the Lord says:

“‘Your wife will become a prostitute(AM) in the city,
and your sons and daughters will fall by the sword.
Your land will be measured and divided up,
and you yourself will die in a pagan[c] country.
And Israel will surely go into exile,(AN)
away from their native land.(AO)’”

A Basket of Ripe Fruit

8 This is what the Sovereign Lord showed me:(AP) a basket of ripe fruit. 2 “What do you see,(AQ) Amos?(AR)” he asked.

“A basket(AS) of ripe fruit,” I answered.

Then the Lord said to me, “The time is ripe for my people Israel; I will spare them no longer.(AT)

3 “In that day,” declares the Sovereign Lord, “the songs in the temple will turn to wailing.[d](AU) Many, many bodies—flung everywhere! Silence!(AV)”

4 Hear this, you who trample the needy
and do away with the poor(AW) of the land,(AX)

5 saying,

“When will the New Moon(AY) be over
that we may sell grain,
and the Sabbath be ended
that we may market(AZ) wheat?”(BA)—
skimping on the measure,
boosting the price
and cheating(BB) with dishonest scales,(BC)
6 buying the poor(BD) with silver
and the needy for a pair of sandals,
selling even the sweepings with the wheat.(BE)

7 The Lord has sworn by himself, the Pride of Jacob:(BF) “I will never forget(BG) anything they have done.(BH)

8 “Will not the land tremble(BI) for this,
and all who live in it mourn?
The whole land will rise like the Nile;
it will be stirred up and then sink
like the river of Egypt.(BJ)

9 “In that day,” declares the Sovereign Lord,

“I will make the sun go down at noon
and darken the earth in broad daylight.(BK)
10 I will turn your religious festivals(BL) into mourning
and all your singing into weeping.(BM)
I will make all of you wear sackcloth(BN)
and shave(BO) your heads.
I will make that time like mourning for an only son(BP)
and the end of it like a bitter day.(BQ)

11 “The days are coming,”(BR) declares the Sovereign Lord,
“when I will send a famine through the land—
not a famine of food or a thirst for water,
but a famine(BS) of hearing the words of the Lord.(BT)
12 People will stagger from sea to sea
and wander from north to east,
searching for the word of the Lord,
but they will not find it.(BU)

13 “In that day

“the lovely young women and strong young men(BV)
will faint because of thirst.(BW)
14 Those who swear by the sin of Samaria(BX)—
who say, ‘As surely as your god lives, Dan,’(BY)
or, ‘As surely as the god[e] of Beersheba(BZ) lives’—
they will fall,(CA) never to rise again.(CB)”

Israel to Be Destroyed

9 I saw the Lord standing by the altar, and he said:

“Strike the tops of the pillars
so that the thresholds shake.
Bring them down on the heads(CC) of all the people;
those who are left I will kill with the sword.
Not one will get away,
none will escape.(CD)
2 Though they dig down to the depths below,(CE)
from there my hand will take them.
Though they climb up to the heavens above,(CF)
from there I will bring them down.(CG)
3 Though they hide themselves on the top of Carmel,(CH)
there I will hunt them down and seize them.(CI)
Though they hide from my eyes at the bottom of the sea,(CJ)
there I will command the serpent(CK) to bite them.(CL)
4 Though they are driven into exile by their enemies,
there I will command the sword(CM) to slay them.

“I will keep my eye on them
for harm(CN) and not for good.(CO)”(CP)

5 The Lord, the Lord Almighty—
he touches the earth and it melts,(CQ)
and all who live in it mourn;
the whole land rises like the Nile,
then sinks like the river of Egypt;(CR)
6 he builds his lofty palace[f](CS) in the heavens
and sets its foundation[g] on the earth;
he calls for the waters of the sea
and pours them out over the face of the land—
the Lord is his name.(CT)

7 “Are not you Israelites
the same to me as the Cushites[h]?”(CU)
declares the Lord.
“Did I not bring Israel up from Egypt,
the Philistines(CV) from Caphtor[i](CW)
and the Arameans from Kir?(CX)

8 “Surely the eyes of the Sovereign Lord
are on the sinful kingdom.
I will destroy(CY) it
from the face of the earth.
Yet I will not totally destroy
the descendants of Jacob,”
declares the Lord.(CZ)
9 “For I will give the command,
and I will shake the people of Israel
among all the nations
as grain(DA) is shaken in a sieve,(DB)
and not a pebble will reach the ground.(DC)
10 All the sinners among my people
will die by the sword,(DD)
all those who say,
‘Disaster will not overtake or meet us.’(DE)

Israel’s Restoration

11 “In that day

“I will restore David’s(DF) fallen shelter(DG)—
I will repair its broken walls
and restore its ruins(DH)—
and will rebuild it as it used to be,(DI)
12 so that they may possess the remnant of Edom(DJ)
and all the nations that bear my name,[j](DK)”
declares the Lord, who will do these things.(DL)

13 “The days are coming,”(DM) declares the Lord,

“when the reaper(DN) will be overtaken by the plowman(DO)
and the planter by the one treading(DP) grapes.
New wine(DQ) will drip from the mountains
and flow from all the hills,(DR)
14 and I will bring(DS) my people Israel back from exile.[k](DT)

“They will rebuild the ruined cities(DU) and live in them.
They will plant vineyards(DV) and drink their wine;
they will make gardens and eat their fruit.(DW)
15 I will plant(DX) Israel in their own land,(DY)
never again to be uprooted(DZ)
from the land I have given them,”(EA)

says the Lord your God.(EB)

Footnotes:

  1. Amos 7:7 The meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.
  2. Amos 7:7 The meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain; also in verse 8.
  3. Amos 7:17 Hebrew an unclean
  4. Amos 8:3 Or “the temple singers will wail
  5. Amos 8:14 Hebrew the way
  6. Amos 9:6 The meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.
  7. Amos 9:6 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
  8. Amos 9:7 That is, people from the upper Nile region
  9. Amos 9:7 That is, Crete
  10. Amos 9:12 Hebrew; Septuagint so that the remnant of people / and all the nations that bear my name may seek me
  11. Amos 9:14 Or will restore the fortunes of my people Israel

Cross references:

  1. Amos 7:1 : ver 7; Am 8:1
  2. Amos 7:1 : Ps 78:46; S Jer 51:14; S Joel 1:4
  3. Amos 7:2 : S Ex 10:15
  4. Amos 7:2 : S Isa 37:4
  5. Amos 7:2 : S Eze 11:13; S Am 4:9
  6. Amos 7:3 : S Ex 32:14; Dt 32:36; S Jer 18:8; 26:19
  7. Amos 7:3 : S Hos 11:8
  8. Amos 7:4 : S Isa 66:16; S Joel 1:19
  9. Amos 7:4 : Dt 32:22
  10. Amos 7:5 : S ver 1-2; Joel 2:17
  11. Amos 7:6 : S Ex 32:14; S Jer 18:8; Jnh 3:10
  12. Amos 7:6 : Jer 42:10; S Eze 9:8
  13. Amos 7:8 : Jer 1:11, 13
  14. Amos 7:8 : Am 8:2
  15. Amos 7:8 : S 2Ki 21:13
  16. Amos 7:8 : S Jer 15:6; Eze 7:2-9
  17. Amos 7:9 : S Lev 26:30
  18. Amos 7:9 : S Lev 26:31
  19. Amos 7:9 : S 1Ki 13:34; 2Ki 15:9; Isa 63:18; S Hos 10:8
  20. Amos 7:10 : S Jos 7:2
  21. Amos 7:10 : S 2Ki 14:23
  22. Amos 7:10 : Jer 38:4
  23. Amos 7:10 : 2Ki 14:24; Jer 26:8-11
  24. Amos 7:11 : S Am 5:27
  25. Amos 7:11 : Jer 36:16
  26. Amos 7:12 : S 1Sa 9:9
  27. Amos 7:12 : Mt 8:34
  28. Amos 7:13 : S Jos 7:2; S 1Ki 12:29
  29. Amos 7:13 : Jer 36:5
  30. Amos 7:13 : S Jer 20:2; S Am 2:12; Ac 4:18
  31. Amos 7:14 : S 1Sa 10:5; 2Ki 2:5; 4:38; Zec 13:5
  32. Amos 7:14 : S 1Ki 10:27; S Isa 9:10
  33. Amos 7:15 : S Ge 37:2; S 2Sa 7:8
  34. Amos 7:15 : S Isa 6:9
  35. Amos 7:15 : S Jer 26:12
  36. Amos 7:15 : Jer 7:1-2; S Eze 2:3-4
  37. Amos 7:16 : Jer 22:2
  38. Amos 7:16 : S Eze 20:46; Mic 2:6
  39. Amos 7:17 : S Hos 4:13
  40. Amos 7:17 : S Am 5:27
  41. Amos 7:17 : S 2Ki 17:6; S Eze 4:13; S Hos 9:3; Am 2:12-13
  42. Amos 8:1 : S Am 7:1
  43. Amos 8:2 : Jer 1:13; 24:3
  44. Amos 8:2 : Am 7:8
  45. Amos 8:2 : S Ge 40:16
  46. Amos 8:2 : S La 4:18; Eze 7:2-9
  47. Amos 8:3 : S Am 5:16
  48. Amos 8:3 : Am 6:10
  49. Amos 8:4 : S Pr 30:14
  50. Amos 8:4 : S Job 20:19; S Ps 14:4; S Am 2:7
  51. Amos 8:5 : S Nu 10:10
  52. Amos 8:5 : Isa 58:13
  53. Amos 8:5 : S Ne 10:31
  54. Amos 8:5 : S Ge 31:7
  55. Amos 8:5 : Dt 25:15; 2Ki 4:23; Ne 13:15-16; Eze 45:10-12; S Hos 12:7; Mic 6:10-11; Zec 5:6
  56. Amos 8:6 : Am 5:11
  57. Amos 8:6 : S Am 2:6; S 4:1
  58. Amos 8:7 : S Ps 47:4
  59. Amos 8:7 : S Hos 8:13
  60. Amos 8:7 : S Job 35:15
  61. Amos 8:8 : S Job 9:6; Jer 51:29
  62. Amos 8:8 : Ps 18:7; S Jer 46:8; Am 9:5
  63. Amos 8:9 : S Job 5:14; Isa 59:9-10; Jer 13:16; 15:9; S Eze 32:7; S Am 5:8; Mic 3:6; Mt 27:45; Mk 15:33; Lk 23:44-45
  64. Amos 8:10 : S Lev 26:31
  65. Amos 8:10 : S La 5:15; S Hos 2:11
  66. Amos 8:10 : S Joel 1:8
  67. Amos 8:10 : S Lev 13:40; S Isa 3:17
  68. Amos 8:10 : S Ge 21:16
  69. Amos 8:10 : S Jer 2:19; S Eze 7:18
  70. Amos 8:11 : Jer 30:3; 31:27
  71. Amos 8:11 : S Isa 30:20
  72. Amos 8:11 : S 1Sa 3:1; S 28:6; S 2Ch 15:3
  73. Amos 8:12 : S Eze 20:3, 31
  74. Amos 8:13 : S Isa 9:17
  75. Amos 8:13 : Isa 41:17; Hos 2:3
  76. Amos 8:14 : Mic 1:5
  77. Amos 8:14 : S 1Ki 12:29
  78. Amos 8:14 : S Am 5:5
  79. Amos 8:14 : S Ps 46:2
  80. Amos 8:14 : S Am 5:2
  81. Amos 9:1 : Ps 68:21
  82. Amos 9:1 : Jer 11:11
  83. Amos 9:2 : S Job 7:9; S Eze 26:20
  84. Amos 9:2 : Jer 51:53
  85. Amos 9:2 : Ob 1:4
  86. Amos 9:3 : Am 1:2
  87. Amos 9:3 : Ps 139:8-10
  88. Amos 9:3 : Ps 68:22
  89. Amos 9:3 : Isa 27:1
  90. Amos 9:3 : S Ge 49:17; S Job 11:20; Jer 16:16-17
  91. Amos 9:4 : S Lev 26:33; S Eze 5:12
  92. Amos 9:4 : S Jer 21:10
  93. Amos 9:4 : Jer 39:16; S Eze 15:7
  94. Amos 9:4 : S Jer 44:11
  95. Amos 9:5 : S Ps 46:2
  96. Amos 9:5 : S Am 8:8
  97. Amos 9:6 : Jer 43:9
  98. Amos 9:6 : Ps 104:1-3, 5-6, 13; S Am 5:8
  99. Amos 9:7 : S 2Ch 12:3; Isa 20:4; 43:3
  100. Amos 9:7 : S Ge 10:14
  101. Amos 9:7 : S Dt 2:23
  102. Amos 9:7 : S 2Ki 16:9; S Isa 22:6; S Am 2:10
  103. Amos 9:8 : S Jer 4:27
  104. Amos 9:8 : S Jer 44:27
  105. Amos 9:9 : Lk 22:31
  106. Amos 9:9 : Isa 30:28
  107. Amos 9:9 : S Jer 31:36; S Da 9:7
  108. Amos 9:10 : Jer 49:37
  109. Amos 9:10 : Jer 5:12; S 23:17; S Eze 20:38; S Am 6:3
  110. Amos 9:11 : S Isa 7:2
  111. Amos 9:11 : S Ge 26:22
  112. Amos 9:11 : Ps 53:6; S Isa 49:8
  113. Amos 9:11 : Ps 80:12; S Eze 17:24; Mic 7:8, 11; Zec 12:7; 14:10
  114. Amos 9:12 : S Nu 24:18
  115. Amos 9:12 : Isa 43:7; Jer 25:29
  116. Amos 9:12 : Ac 15:16-17*
  117. Amos 9:13 : Jer 31:38; 33:14
  118. Amos 9:13 : S Ru 2:3
  119. Amos 9:13 : Lev 26:5
  120. Amos 9:13 : S Jdg 9:27
  121. Amos 9:13 : S Joel 2:24
  122. Amos 9:13 : S Joel 3:18
  123. Amos 9:14 : S Jer 29:14
  124. Amos 9:14 : S Jer 33:7
  125. Amos 9:14 : S Isa 32:18; S 49:8; S 61:4
  126. Amos 9:14 : S 2Ki 19:29
  127. Amos 9:14 : S Isa 62:9; S Jer 30:18; S 31:28; Eze 28:25-26; S 34:13-14; S Am 5:11
  128. Amos 9:15 : S Ex 15:17; S Isa 60:21
  129. Amos 9:15 : S Jer 23:8
  130. Amos 9:15 : S Joel 3:20
  131. Amos 9:15 : S Isa 65:9; S Jer 3:18; Ob 1:17
  132. Amos 9:15 : S Jer 18:9; S 24:6; S 32:15; S Eze 28:26; S 34:25-28; S 37:12, 25
New International Version (NIV)

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Revelation 3:7-22

To the Church in Philadelphia

7 “To the angel of the church in Philadelphia(A) write:

These are the words of him who is holy(B) and true,(C) who holds the key of David.(D) What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. 8 I know your deeds.(E) See, I have placed before you an open door(F) that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.(G) 9 I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan,(H) who claim to be Jews though they are not,(I) but are liars—I will make them come and fall down at your feet(J) and acknowledge that I have loved you.(K) 10 Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you(L) from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world(M) to test(N) the inhabitants of the earth.(O)

11 I am coming soon.(P) Hold on to what you have,(Q) so that no one will take your crown.(R) 12 The one who is victorious(S) I will make a pillar(T) in the temple of my God. Never again will they leave it. I will write on them the name of my God(U) and the name of the city of my God,(V) the new Jerusalem,(W) which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on them my new name. 13 Whoever has ears, let them hear(X) what the Spirit says to the churches.

To the Church in Laodicea

14 “To the angel of the church in Laodicea(Y) write:

These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness,(Z) the ruler of God’s creation.(AA) 15 I know your deeds,(AB) that you are neither cold nor hot.(AC) I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17 You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’(AD) But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.(AE) 18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire,(AF) so you can become rich; and white clothes(AG) to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness;(AH) and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.

19 Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline.(AI) So be earnest and repent.(AJ) 20 Here I am! I stand at the door(AK) and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door,(AL) I will come in(AM) and eat with that person, and they with me.

21 To the one who is victorious,(AN) I will give the right to sit with me on my throne,(AO) just as I was victorious(AP) and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22 Whoever has ears, let them hear(AQ) what the Spirit says to the churches.”

Cross references:

  1. Revelation 3:7 : Rev 1:11
  2. Revelation 3:7 : S Mk 1:24
  3. Revelation 3:7 : 1Jn 5:20; Rev 6:10; 19:11
  4. Revelation 3:7 : Isa 22:22; Mt 16:19
  5. Revelation 3:8 : S Rev 2:2
  6. Revelation 3:8 : S Ac 14:27
  7. Revelation 3:8 : Rev 2:13
  8. Revelation 3:9 : Rev 2:9
  9. Revelation 3:9 : Rev 2:9
  10. Revelation 3:9 : Isa 49:23
  11. Revelation 3:9 : Isa 43:4; S Ro 8:37
  12. Revelation 3:10 : 2Pe 2:9
  13. Revelation 3:10 : S Mt 24:14
  14. Revelation 3:10 : Rev 2:10
  15. Revelation 3:10 : Rev 6:10; 8:13; 11:10; 13:8, 14; 17:8
  16. Revelation 3:11 : S Mt 16:27
  17. Revelation 3:11 : Rev 2:25
  18. Revelation 3:11 : S 1Co 9:25
  19. Revelation 3:12 : S Jn 16:33
  20. Revelation 3:12 : Gal 2:9
  21. Revelation 3:12 : Rev 14:1; 22:4
  22. Revelation 3:12 : Eze 48:35
  23. Revelation 3:12 : Gal 4:26; Rev 21:2, 10
  24. Revelation 3:13 : S Rev 2:7
  25. Revelation 3:14 : S Col 2:1; Rev 1:11
  26. Revelation 3:14 : Jn 18:37; Rev 1:5
  27. Revelation 3:14 : Pr 8:22; Jn 1:3; Col 1:16, 18
  28. Revelation 3:15 : S Rev 2:2
  29. Revelation 3:15 : Ro 12:11
  30. Revelation 3:17 : Hos 12:8; 1Co 4:8
  31. Revelation 3:17 : Pr 13:7
  32. Revelation 3:18 : S 1Pe 1:7
  33. Revelation 3:18 : S ver 4
  34. Revelation 3:18 : Rev 16:15
  35. Revelation 3:19 : Dt 8:5; Pr 3:12; 1Co 11:32; Heb 12:5, 6
  36. Revelation 3:19 : S Rev 2:5
  37. Revelation 3:20 : Mt 24:33; Jas 5:9
  38. Revelation 3:20 : Lk 12:36
  39. Revelation 3:20 : S Ro 8:10
  40. Revelation 3:21 : S Jn 16:33
  41. Revelation 3:21 : S Mt 19:28
  42. Revelation 3:21 : Rev 5:5
  43. Revelation 3:22 : S Rev 2:7
New International Version (NIV)

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Psalm 131

Psalm 131

A song of ascents. Of David.

1 My heart is not proud,(A) Lord,
my eyes are not haughty;(B)
I do not concern myself with great matters(C)
or things too wonderful for me.(D)
2 But I have calmed and quieted myself,(E)
I am like a weaned child with its mother;
like a weaned child I am content.(F)

3 Israel, put your hope(G) in the Lord
both now and forevermore.(H)

Cross references:

  1. Psalm 131:1 : Ps 101:5; Isa 2:12; Ro 12:16
  2. Psalm 131:1 : S 2Sa 22:28; S Job 41:34
  3. Psalm 131:1 : Jer 45:5
  4. Psalm 131:1 : S Job 5:9; Ps 139:6
  5. Psalm 131:2 : S Ps 116:7
  6. Psalm 131:2 : Mt 18:3; 1Co 13:11; 14:20
  7. Psalm 131:3 : S Ps 25:5; 119:43; 130:7
  8. Psalm 131:3 : S Ps 113:2
New International Version (NIV)

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Proverbs 29:23

23 Pride brings a person low,(A)
but the lowly in spirit gain honor.(B)

Cross references:

  1. Proverbs 29:23 : S Est 5:12
  2. Proverbs 29:23 : S Pr 11:2; S 15:33; S 16:18
New International Version (NIV)

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Posted on

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Monday December 11, 2023 (NIV)

Amos 4-6

The Women of Samaria

The Lord said:

4 You women of Samaria
are fat cows![a]
You mistreat and abuse
the poor and needy,
then you say to your husbands,
“Bring us more drinks!”
2 I, the Lord God, have sworn
by my own name
that your time is coming.
Not one of you will be left—
you will be taken away
by sharp hooks.[b]
3 You will be dragged through holes
in your city walls,
and you will be thrown
toward Harmon.[c]
I, the Lord, have spoken!

Israel Refuses To Obey

The Lord said:

4 Come to Bethel and Gilgal.[d]
Sin all you want!
Offer sacrifices the next morning
and bring a tenth of your crops
on the third day.[e]
5 Bring offerings to show me
how thankful you are.
Gladly bring more offerings
than I have demanded.
You really love to do this.
I, the Lord God, have spoken!

How the Lord Warned Israel

6 (A) I, the Lord, took away the food
from every town and village,
but still you rejected me.
7 Three months before harvest,
I kept back the rain.
Sometimes I would let it fall
on one town or field
but not on another,
and pastures dried up.
8 People from two or three towns
would go to a town
that still had water,
but it wasn't enough.
Even then you rejected me.
I, the Lord, have spoken!

9 I dried up your grain fields;
your gardens and vineyards
turned brown.
Locusts[f] ate your fig trees
and olive orchards,
but even then you rejected me.
I, the Lord, have spoken!

10 I did terrible things to you,
just as I did to Egypt—
I killed your young men in war;
I let your horses be stolen,
and I made your camp stink
with dead bodies.
Even then you rejected me.
I, the Lord, have spoken!

11 (B) I destroyed many of you,
just as I did the cities
of Sodom and Gomorrah.
You were a burning stick
I rescued from the fire.
But even then you rejected me.
I, the Lord, have spoken!

12 Now, Israel, I myself
will deal with you.
Get ready to face your God!

13 I created the mountains
and the wind.
I let humans know
what I am thinking.[g]
I bring darkness at dawn
and step over hills.
I am the Lord God All-Powerful!

Turn Back to the Lord

5 Listen, nation of Israel,
to my mournful message:
2 You, dearest Israel, have fallen,
never to rise again—
you lie deserted in your own land,
with no one to help you up.

3 The Lord God has warned,
“From every ten soldiers
only one will be left;
from a thousand troops,
only a hundred will survive.”

4 The Lord keeps saying,
“Israel, turn back to me
and you will live!
5 Don't go to Gilgal or Bethel
or even to Beersheba.[h]
Gilgal will be dragged away,
and Bethel will end up
as nothing.”[i]

6 Turn back to the Lord,
you descendants of Joseph,[j]
and you will live.
If you don't, the Lord
will attack like fire.
Bethel will burn to the ground,
and no one can save it.
7 You people are doomed!
You twist the truth
and trample on justice.

8 (C) But the Lord created the stars
and put them in place.[k]
He turns darkness to dawn
and daylight to darkness;
he scoops up the ocean
and empties it on the earth.
9 God destroys mighty soldiers
and strong fortresses.

Choose Good Instead of Evil!

The Lord said:

10 You people hate judges
and honest witnesses;
11 you abuse the poor and demand
heavy taxes from them.
You have built expensive homes,
but you won't enjoy them;
you have planted vineyards,
but you will get no wine.
12 I am the Lord, and I know
your terrible sins.
You cheat honest people
and take bribes;
you rob the poor of justice.
13 Times are so evil
that anyone with good sense
will keep quiet.

14 If you really want to live,
you must stop doing wrong
and start doing right.
I, the Lord God All-Powerful,
will then be on your side,
just as you claim I am.
15 Choose good instead of evil!
See that justice is done.
Maybe I, the Lord All-Powerful,
will be kind to what's left
of your people.[l]

Judgment Is Coming

16 This is what the Lord has sworn:

Noisy crying will be heard
in every town and street.
Even farmers will be told
to mourn for the dead,
together with those
who are paid to mourn.[m]
17 Your vineyards will be filled
with crying and weeping,[n]
because I will punish you.
I, the Lord, have spoken!

When the Lord Judges

18 You look forward to the day
when the Lord comes to judge.
But you are in for trouble!
It won't be a time of sunshine;
all will be darkness.
19 You will run from a lion,
only to meet a bear.
You will escape to your house,
rest your hand on the wall,
and be bitten by a snake.
20 The day when the Lord judges
will be dark, very dark,
without a ray of light.

What the Lord Demands

21 (D) I, the Lord, hate and despise
your religious celebrations
and your times of worship.
22 I won't accept your offerings
or animal sacrifices—
not even your very best.
23 No more of your noisy songs!
I won't listen
when you play your harps.
24 But let justice and fairness
flow like a river
that never runs dry.

25 (E) Israel, for forty years
you wandered in the desert,
without bringing offerings
or sacrifices to me.
26 Now you will have to carry
the two idols you made—
Sakkuth, the one you call king,
and Kaiwan, the one you built
in the shape of a star.[o]
27 I will force you to march
as captives beyond Damascus.
I, the Lord God All-Powerful,
have spoken![p]

Israel Will Be Punished

6 Do you rulers in Jerusalem
and in the city of Samaria
feel safe and at ease?
Everyone bows down to you,
and you think you are better
than any other nation.
But you are in for trouble!
2 Look what happened
to the cities of Calneh,
powerful Hamath,
and Gath[q] in Philistia.
Are you greater than any
of those kingdoms?
3 You are cruel, and you forget
the coming day of judgment.

4 You rich people lounge around
on beds with ivory posts,
while dining on the meat
of your lambs and calves.
5 You sing foolish songs
to the music of harps,
and you make up new tunes,
just as David used to do.
6 You drink all the wine you want
and wear expensive perfume,
but you don't care about
the ruin of your nation.[r]
7 So you will be the first
to be dragged off as captives;
your good times will end.

8 The Lord God All-Powerful
has sworn by his own name:
“You descendants of Jacob
make me angry by your pride,
and I hate your fortresses.
And so I will surrender your city
and possessions
to your enemies.”

9 If only ten of you survive
by hiding in a house
you will still die.
10 As you carry out a corpse
to prepare it for burial,[s]
your relative in the house
will ask, “Are there others?”
You will answer, “No!”
Then your relative will reply,
“Be quiet! Don't dare mention
the name of the Lord.”[t]
11 At the Lord's command,
houses great and small
will be smashed to pieces.

12 Horses can't gallop on rocks;
oceans[u] can't be plowed.
But you have turned justice
and fairness
into bitter poison.
13 You celebrate the defeat
of Lo-Debar and Karnaim,[v]
and you boast by saying,
“We did it on our own.”

14 But the Lord God All-Powerful
will send a nation to attack
you people of Israel.
They will capture Lebo-Hamath
in the north,
Arabah Creek[w] in the south,
and everything in between.

Footnotes:

  1. 4.1 fat cows: The Hebrew text has “cows of Bashan,” a fertile plain famous for its rich pastures and well-fed cattle.
  2. 4.2 taken … hooks: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  3. 4.3 Harmon: Hebrew; some manuscripts of one ancient translation “Mount Hermon,” a mountain in the north of Palestine, on the way to Assyria.
  4. 4.4 Bethel and Gilgal: These were two of the most important centers of worship in northern Israel. Amos mentions these together again in 5.5.
  5. 4.4 Offer … day: Or “Offer sacrifices each morning and bring a tenth of your crops every three days.” In verses 4,5 God is condemning the people for meaningless acts of worship.
  6. 4.9 Locusts: A type of grasshopper that comes in swarms and causes great damage to plant life.
  7. 4.13 I let … thinking: Or “No one's secret thoughts are hidden from me.”
  8. 5.5 Gilgal … Bethel … Beersheba: These were ancient places of worship, but the Lord had warned his people to stay away from them.
  9. 5.5 Gilgal … nothing: In Hebrew “Gilgal” and “dragged away” sound something alike. Bethel (meaning “house of God”) is sometimes called “house of nothing” or “house of sin” by the prophets (see Hosea 4.15; 5.8; 10.5-8).
  10. 5.6 descendants of Joseph: Another name for the people of the northern kingdom of Israel.
  11. 5.8 the stars … place: The Hebrew text mentions two groups of stars, Pleiades and Orion. Since the Lord is the Creator of the stars, he controls the seasons that are signaled by the different positions of the stars. Moreover, the stars are created objects and should not be worshiped.
  12. 5.15 your people: Hebrew “Joseph's descendants” (see the note at 5.6).
  13. 5.16 paid to mourn: In ancient times some people were paid to mourn and make loud cries at funerals.
  14. 5.17 Your vineyards … weeping: Instead of happy celebrations that were often held in vineyards after the harvest.
  15. 5.26 star: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 26.
  16. 5.27 I, the Lord … spoken: Israel did not offer sacrifices and gifts to the Lord during the time they wandered through the desert. But now they have made idols to carry during their ceremonies. So the Lord warns that he will make them “march” away as captives beyond Damascus, where Israel had extended its borders by victories in war (see 2 Kings 14.28).
  17. 6.2 Calneh … Hamath … Gath: City-states captured by the Assyrians: Calneh in 738 b.c., Hamath in 720, and Gath in 711.
  18. 6.6 your nation: Hebrew “Joseph's descendants” (see the note at 5.6).
  19. 6.10 prepare … burial: Or “burn it” or “burn incense for it.”
  20. 6.10 the name of the Lord: Two relatives seem to be carrying out corpses for burial. One of them warns the other to be careful not even to say “Thank the Lord!” for fear that the mention of his name may cause something worse to happen.
  21. 6.12 oceans: Or “rocky fields.”
  22. 6.13 Lo-Debar and Karnaim: Two cities east of the Jordan River that were captured by Jeroboam II (see 2 Kings 14.25). In Hebrew “Lo-Debar” can mean “nothing,” and “Karnaim” means “two horns (of a bull).” Horns were symbols of strength, and so the people are bragging about their military power (defeat of “two horns”), which Amos says is “nothing” (Lo-Debar).
  23. 6.14 Lebo-Hamath … Arabah Creek: The northern and southern boundaries of the northern kingdom.

Cross references:

  1. 4.6 : Ws 12.2,10.
  2. 4.11 : Gn 19.24.
  3. 5.8 : Job 9.9; 38.31.
  4. 5.21,22 : Is 1.11-14.
  5. 5.25-27 : Ac 7.42,43.
Contemporary English Version (CEV)

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Revelation 2:18-3:6

The Letter to Thyatira

18 This is what you must write to the angel of the church in Thyatira:

I am the Son of God! My eyes are like flames of fire, and my feet are like bronze. Listen to what I say.

19 I know everything about you, including your love, your faith, your service, and how you have endured. I know you are doing more now than you have ever done before. 20 (A) But I still have something against you because of that woman Jezebel.[a] She calls herself a prophet, and you let her teach and mislead my servants to do immoral things and to eat food offered to idols. 21 I gave her a chance to turn from her sins, but she did not want to stop doing these immoral things.

22 I am going to strike down Jezebel. Everyone who does these immoral things with her will also be punished, if they don't stop. 23 (B) I will even kill her followers.[b] Then all the churches will see that I know everyone's thoughts and feelings. I will treat each of you as you deserve.

24 Some of you in Thyatira don't follow Jezebel's teaching. You don't know anything about what her followers call the “deep secrets of Satan.” So I won't burden you down with any other commands. 25 But until I come, you must hold firmly to the teaching you have.

26 (C) I will give power over the nations to everyone who wins the victory and keeps on obeying me until the end. 27-28 I will give each of them the same power my Father has given me. They will rule the nations with an iron rod and smash those nations to pieces like clay pots. I will also give them the morning star.[c]

29 If you have ears, listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.

The Letter to Sardis

3 This is what you must write to the angel of the church in Sardis:

I have the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. Listen to what I say.

I know what you are doing. Everyone may think you are alive, but you are dead. 2 Wake up! You have only a little strength left, and it is almost gone. So try to become stronger. I have found that you are not completely obeying God. 3 (D) Remember the teaching you were given and heard. Hold firmly to it and turn from your sins. If you don't wake up, I will come when you least expect it, just as a thief does.

4 A few of you in Sardis have not dirtied your clothes with sin. You will walk with me in white clothes, because you are worthy. 5 (E) Everyone who wins the victory will wear white clothes. Their names will not be erased from the book of life,[d] and I will tell my Father and his angels that they are my followers.

6 If you have ears, listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.

Footnotes:

  1. 2.20 Jezebel: Nothing else is known about her. This may have been her real name or a name that was given to her because she was like Queen Jezebel, who opposed the Lord (see 1 Kings 19.1,2; 21.1-26).
  2. 2.23 her followers: Or “her children.”
  3. 2.27,28 the morning star: Probably thought of as the star that signals the end of night and the beginning of day. In 22.16 Christ is called the “morning star.”
  4. 3.5 book of life: The book in which the names of God's people are written.

Cross references:

  1. 2.20 : 1 K 16.31; 2 K 9.22,30.
  2. 2.23 a : Ps 7.9; Jr 17.10; b Ps 62.12.
  3. 2.26-28 : Ps 2.8,9 (LXX).
  4. 3.3 : Mt 24.43,44; Lk 12.39,40; Rev 16.15.
  5. 3.5 a : Ex 32.32,33; Ps 69.28; Rev 20.12; b Mt 10.32; Lk 12.8.
Contemporary English Version (CEV)

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Psalm 130

(A song for worship.)

Trusting the Lord in Times of Trouble

1 From a sea of troubles
I cry out to you, Lord.
2 Won't you please listen
as I beg for mercy?

3 If you kept record of our sins,
no one could last long.
4 But you forgive us,
and so we will worship you.

5 With all my heart,
I am waiting, Lord, for you!
I trust your promises.
6 I wait for you more eagerly
than a soldier on guard duty
waits for the dawn.
Yes, I wait more eagerly
than a soldier on guard duty
waits for the dawn.

7 Israel, trust the Lord!
God is always merciful
and has the power to save you.
8 (A) Israel, the Lord will save you
from all your sins.

Cross references:

  1. 130.8 : Mt 1.21; Titus 2.14.
Contemporary English Version (CEV)

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Proverbs 29:21-22

21 Slaves that you treat kindly
from their childhood
will cause you sorrow.[a]
22 A person with a quick temper
stirs up arguments
and commits a lot of sins.

Footnotes:

  1. 29.21 will … sorrow: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
Contemporary English Version (CEV)

Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society For more information about CEV, visit www.bibles.com and www.cev.bible.